Daily Presentation [9 of 9]

PHOTO SERIES OR PHOTO STORYDaily Over 50,000 Division

THIRD PLACE:The StateGerry MelendezCollege World Series


SECOND PLACE:The StateGerry MelendezUnclaimed dead buried


FIRST PLACE:The StateGerry MelendezComing Home

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONDaily Under 20,000 Division

THIRD PLACE:Index-JournalMatt WalshHouse of Thirteen


SECOND PLACE:The ItemRob CottinghamGraduation


FIRST PLACE:The Times and DemocratChristopher Huff Dangers of depression

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONDaily Over 50,000 Division

THIRD PLACE:The Post and CourierGrace BeahmBourbon


SECOND PLACE:The StateKim Kim Foster-TobinSpa


FIRST PLACE:The StateKim Kim Foster-TobinBrooklyn Mack

DAILY NEWSPAPER WEBSITEDaily Under 20,000 Division

THIRD PLACE:Index-JournalJamie Neff


SECOND PLACE:The Island PacketAngela Hamilton


FIRST PLACE:The Times and DemocratEmery Glover

DAILY NEWSPAPER WEBSITEDaily 20,000 - 50,000 Division

THIRD PLACE:Herald-Journal


SECOND PLACE:Independent Mail


FIRST PLACE:The Herald

DAILY NEWSPAPER WEBSITEDaily Over 50,000 Division

THIRD PLACE:The Greenville NewsBill Fox


SECOND PLACE:The StateGary Ward, Kelly Davis, Darren Price, Rachael Lowe, Dwayne McLemore and Aubrey Jenkins


FIRST PLACE AND BEST OF THE BEST:FIRST PLACE AND BEST OF THE BEST:The Post and Courier

INTEGRATION OF PRINT AND WEB COVERAGE

All Weekly & Daily Under 20,000 Divisions Combined

THIRD PLACE:The Times and Democrat

A Fatal Night for Football



SECOND PLACE:The Times and Democrat

The Avengers



FIRST PLACE:The Times and Democrat Slammin’ and Jammin’


Daily 20,000-50,000 & Over 50,000 Divisions Combined

HONORABLE MENTION:Herald-Journal Tanzania on two wheels



THIRD PLACE:The Post and Courier Cooper River Bridge Run



SECOND PLACE:The Post and Courier Spoleto



FIRST PLACE:The Post and Courier Storm of Money

PHOTO GALLERY ON A NEWSPAPER WEBSITE


SECOND PLACE:Index-JournalMatt Walsh2012 football preview



FIRST PLACE:The Beaufort GazetteJonathan DyerLearning by example


Daily 20,000 - 50,000 Division

THIRD PLACE:Independent MailNathan GrayClemson bands to perform at Olympics



SECOND PLACE:Independent MailNathan GraySwim lessons for adults



FIRST PLACE:Herald-JournalTim KimzeySteam locomotive stops at hubcity train depot


Daily Over 50,000 Division

THIRD PLACE:The Post and CourierGrace BeahmLowcountry Flooding



SECOND PLACE:The Post and CourierWade SpeesJack’s Jazz Procession



FIRST PLACE:The Post and CourierGrace BeahmBulls Island Winter Bow Hunt

ONLINE SPOT NEWS VIDEODaily Under 20,000 Division

THIRD PLACE:The Times and DemocratLarry HardyTanker overturns


SECOND PLACE:The Times and DemocratEmery GloverWorse than any hoarder


FIRST PLACE:The Times and DemocratLarry HardyWe Want Justice

ONLINE SPOT NEWS VIDEODaily 20,000-50,000 & Over 50,000 Divisions Combined

THIRD PLACE:The Greenville NewsJohn OlsonNeighbors Hold Suspect


SECOND PLACE:Independent MailKen RuinardWoman Rescued from Burning Car


FIRST PLACE:Independent MailSefton IpockHomicide on C Street

ONLINE SPORTS VIDEOAll Weekly & Daily Under 20,000 Divisions Combined

SECOND PLACE:The Island PacketSarah WelliverThe Road to State

ONLINE SPORTS VIDEOAll Weekly & Daily Under 20,000 Divisions Combined

FIRST PLACE:The Island PacketSarah WelliverWheelchair tennis championships

ONLINE SPORTS VIDEODaily 20,000 - 50,000 Division

THIRD PLACE:Independent MailKen RuinardSpeedy in the Sky


SECOND PLACE:Morning NewsJohn D. RussellMarlboro County Bulldogs


FIRST PLACE:Herald-JournalTim KimzeyShriner’s Bowl

ONLINE SPORTS VIDEODaily Over 50,000 Division

THIRD PLACE:The Post and CourierChris HancloskyTennis


SECOND PLACE:The Greenville NewsMykal McEldowneyTrevor Smith


FIRST PLACE:The StateTracy GlantzStrong Hands

ONLINE GENERAL NEWS/FEATURE VIDEO


HONORABLE MENTION:The Times and DemocratLarry HardySnake shooting leads to SWAT response



THIRD PLACE:Index-JournalMatt WalshHot dog eating contests



SECOND PLACE:The Island PacketSarah WelliverMission Accomplished



FIRST PLACE:The Island PacketSarah WelliverDawn of Freedom



THIRD PLACE:Morning NewsJohn SweeneyGun-toting Granny



SECOND PLACE:Herald-JournalTim KimzeyOffi cer Keith



FIRST PLACE:Morning NewsRebecca J. DuckerBaptism Behind Bars



THIRD PLACE:The Greenville NewsMykal McEldowneyLake Jocassee



SECOND PLACE:The Post and CourierGrace BeahmPet Squirrel



FIRST PLACE:The Post and CourierChris HancloskyPGA Tour

GENERAL EXCELLENCEDaily Under 20,000 Division

Good morning, E.L. Martin. Thank you for subscribing to the Index-Journal!

TODAY: Sunny intervals.High of 77.

FORECAST, 10A

VOL. 93, NO. 330

www.indexjournal.com

5 SECTIONS, 38 PAGES

SUNDAY, MARCH 25, 2012

Index-Journal is published with pride for the people of the Lake-lands. You are important to us. If you miss your paper, please call 223-1413 (before noon on weekends).

Inside today’s editionACCENT 1C-4CBUSINESS 9BCALENDAR 2A

CLASSIFIEDS 10B-12BCOMICS INSIDE

EDITORIALS 8A-9AENTERTAINMENT 7A, 2CLOTTERY 7ACAMPUS 1D-4DOBITUARIES 4ASPORTS 1B-8B

Index-Journal is committed to editorial excellence. To report an error, contact Executive EditorRichard Whiting at 943-2522 or [email protected].

All-Lakelandsbasketball teams, 1B Politics: Santorum seizes win in Louisiana, 6A

Accent: Lander film festival kicks off next week, 1C

Inside today’s edition

DAILY 75¢, SUNDAY $1.50

‘I DEFINITELY AM INNOCENT’LeRoy Martin, a candidate for mayor of McCormick and the town’s former police chief, speaks Tuesday at the McCormick Library about his DUI charge and his bid for elected office.

SCOTT J. BRYAN | INDEX-JOURNAL

Mayoral candidate refuses to discuss details of Jan. 30 DUI chargeBy RUSSELL COXand SCOTT J. BRYANIndex-Journal staff

McCORMICK — Faced with a driv-ing under the influence charge that could torpedo his campaign for mayor of McCormick, former police chief LeRoy Martin emphatically declared

his innocence Tuesday afternoon dur-ing an interview with the Index-Jour-nal.

Martin was arrested Jan. 30 after a

truck was found in a ditch outside his home at 504 Talbert Road, McCormick.

“Can we just rig something up? ... I know we’re on tape.”— LeRoy Martin talking to a law enforcement officer

during a blood alcohol content test Jan. 30

See INNOCENT, page 4A

INDEX-JOURNAL | FILE

Barbara Etters buys peaches in June 2011 at the Farmers Market in Ninety Six.

Popularity of fresh food grows in LakelandsBy ST. CLAIRE [email protected]

Sharon Alvarez, a current board member for the Greenwood Coun-ty Farmers Market, said increasing popularity of farmers’ markets in the Lakelands is evidence of more consumers wanting fresh food, picked at the height of freshness and ripeness.

“Local is better, no doubt,” Alva-rez said, noting she herself has been a local market grower “forever,” pro-ducing herbs, vegetables and a few ornamental plants.

“Food travels 20 miles to get to you, not 2,000,” Alvarez said. “The

food you’re getting at farmers’ mar-kets is typically handled by only the grower and the person who picks it. Often, that is the same person.

“Food you buy elsewhere may be handled by field hands who pick it, packing house employees, truck-ers, distributors and grocery store workers before you and your family consume it.”

***James Hodges, Greenwood Coun-

ty Clemson Extension agent, said more people today are growing their own vegetables and many express interest in being able to sell some of what they grow. Also, increasing numbers of people are interested in

buying and eating fresh and local foods.

***Newton O’Dell, Greenwood

County Farmers Market manager, said the reason for growth of local markets is simple — people want fresh, less processed food.

“People are embracing healthier lifestyles,” O’Dell said. “They want food that was picked today, or yes-terday. Much food in the national food supply grown here was picked two to three weeks ago, and it could be even longer if the food was grown in South America, China,

See FRESH, page 3A

The Index-Journal’s Home, Lawn and Garden special section can be found in today’s edition.

Special section

EDUCATION

Pay raiseproposal draws concern

By RUSSELL [email protected]

South Carolina’s budget, passed by the S.C. House, requires pay raises for state employees, including teach-ers and has created concerns for local education officials and some lawmakers. The requirement might call for school district pay to increase more than state funding will grow.

The budget, now up for consideration by the state Sen-ate, includes a proviso which would require 2-percent raises for teachers and other school employees, although districts can apply for waivers if the raises would create a deficit.

The discussion of such a

ABBEVILLE

See BUDGET, page 5A

Move might cause budget shortfalls

“We could deplete the reserve to meet this mandate and put the district in a vulnerable position financially.”

— Earlean Smiley,McCormick

Superintendent

PHOTOS BY MATT WALSH | INDEX-JOURNALABOVE: A bucket of steamed oysters from Apalachicola, Fla., is dumped onto a table Saturday during Abbeville’s Oyster Roast and Lowcountry Boil at the Burt-Stark Mansion. BELOW: Aubry Falls, 4, throws an oyster shell into a trash bucket. Her grandfather estimated she ate about 50 oysters. Check out the photo gallery at www.indexjournal.com to view and purchase more photos from this event.

By MICHELLE [email protected]

ABBEVILLE

The Burk-Stark Mansion might be nowhere near the ocean, but that was easy to forget at the annual Oyster Roast and

Lowcountry Boil on Saturday.

The cooking seafood made the air smell salty, and the mansion’s grounds were a sea of lawn chairs as the largest crowd yet showed up to enjoy the food and music from The Edgewood Band.

The event was sponsored by the Great-er Abbeville Chamber of Commerce.

ROAST MASTERSAnnual event sells out

See ROAST, page 5A

THIRD PLACE:Index-Journal


SECOND PLACE:The Item


By GENE ZALESKIT&D Staff Writer

At 61 years old, Frances Guy is not ready to retire.

In fact, the cancer survivor is trying to get back into the workforce two years after she lost her job following her ini-tial diagnosis.

“I am on the Internet all the time looking for whatever is out there,” Guy said. “There is nothing.”

She has done just about all one can to land that elusive job. She has submitted re-sumes, but has not had any interviews.

Guy says while she never got a degree, her background in administration should be a big plus for any employer.

“I have always worked, al-ways,” she said.

Guy was among the hun-dreds to attend the Orange-burg Job Fair Thursday at the Prince of Orange Mall.

By the looks of the crowd, unemployment reaches everywhere.

There were men and women, young and old, black and white, those with a high school diplomas and those with advanced degrees.

On Thursday they were united in one goal: looking for employment.

A high school graduate, 27-year-old Bryson Walsh says searching for a job has been a life-long endeavor.

“Every job that I do have, they always run out of work,” he said. “I am not really look-ing for a job. I am looking for a career.”

This time around, Walsh has been looking for the past nine months.

“This has been a bad year for me,” Walsh said. He sub-mits resumes daily online but has not had an interview since July.

“They told me they’ll call me back in a couple of weeks. It is pretty much a dead end,” he said.

But faith in God motivates him to persevere.

“My time will come,” he said.

The fair came at a difficult time for job seekers. Orange-burg County’s unemployment rate was 14.6 percent in July. Bamberg County’s jobless rate was 16.1 percent and Calhoun County’s was 12.2 percent.

Orangeburg County De-partment of Social Services

workforce developer Richard Lee said individuals started lining up at 7:30 a.m. even though the fair did not start

until 10 a.m.About 50 vendors were at

the fair, including about 20 employers.

A broad spectrum of peo-ple attended the job fair, Lee said. “The economy is so bad and businesses are behind.

They don’t have the budget-ary money.”

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

The Times and Democrat| 3 SECTIONS, 36 PAGES VOL. 131 NO. 26575 CENTS ORANGEBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA |

Today: Sunny. High 85. Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. High 88. De-

tails, Page B12 or on

www.TheTandD.com

DEATHSGOOD MORNING! [09.21.12]

CHARACTER: SPORTSMANSHIP

Home-delivery sub-scribers of The Times and Democrat should receive three sections today: the A and B news and sports sections and a 12-page American Profile magazine. Subscribers not receiving all sections should call 536-1812.

Classified ............................ B6Columns .........................A6, A7Comics ................................ A7Deaths ................................ A4Editorial ............................... A8Entertainment ...................... A6Markets ............................. B11Nation/World ....................... A3Sports ................................. B1

Paul Johnson ~ Orangeburg Elouise Middleton ~ Holly Hill Virginia White Morrison ~ Great Falls Elizabeth Virginia Brunson Murphy ~

Orangeburg

Margaret Pelzer ~ Elloree Ben Simmons Jr. ~ Reevesville James Franklin “Skeet” Thompson ~

Rowesville Sophie Ellis Youmans ~ Allendale

Please recycle

this paper.

The Times

and Democrat

recycles newsprint.

6 18134 29116 6

Football has S.C. teams on the map in big way

STORY, B1 EDITORIAL, A8

More coverage from Clemson and Carolina on B5

FINALFLIGHT

B12

By JEFFREY COLLINSAssociated Press

COLUMBIA — A Lexington attorney extorted more than $1 million from clients by threat-ening them with criminal charges or civil penalties that did not exist, accord-ing to a federal indict-ment.

Rich-ard Breibart was charged Wednesday with five counts of extortion, four counts of mail fraud and a count of wire fraud. The indictment lists three different people who al-legedly cleaned out bank ac-counts, investments and re-tirement savings to give to Breibart

Breibart targeted present and former clients and told them they were facing penal-ties from the Internal Revenue Service or possible criminal charges unless they put hun-dreds of thousands of dollars into his law firm’s trust ac-count, authorities said.

The attorney promised he would handle the matters confidentially and keep them out of public records, prosecu-

Attorney facing extortion charge

COURTESY WIS

Breibart

LARRY HARDY/T&D

Manish Mazyck, center, senior employment specialist at Goodwill Industries, greets a job seeker at the annual Orangeburg Job Fair held Thursday at the Prince of Orange Mall. The fair was sponsored by the mall and state and local agencies.

Opportunities scarce, but local job hunters keep on looking

By PHIL SARATAT&D Staff Writer

When named 2012 Orangeburg Area Citizen of the Year, Frank Staley Jr. did something that by all accounts no other recipient of the award has ever done.

Raising his napkin, Staley waved it over his head to the laughter of the audience.

“They kind of think a little bit about the old man, don’t they?” Staley said, smiling.

Staley became the 60th recipient of the award, presented each year by the Kiwanis Club of Orangeburg.

Sharing the moment with Staley on Thursday was South Carolina State University Coach Emeritus Wil-lie Jeffries, who won the award in 2011. He was re-sponsible for getting Staley to the function.

“He’s not the easiest guy to pull one over on,” Jef-fries said. “I just told him I was getting an award and I would really like him to be there.

“You want to be sure you get that person there, es-pecially someone who merits so much an honor of this nature. I am happy to see some fellow Bulldogs receive this award.”

Making the presentation, using various articles of clothing and head gear as props, Dr. Gene Atkinson noted four areas have helped define Staley’s life: the

CHRISTOPHER HUFF/T&D

Frank Staley Jr. puts his hand to his head and waves his napkin as he is named Citizen of the Year.


Staley puts his head down on the table as the news of the award sinks in.


Staley throws his head back in laughter as award presenter Dr. Gene Atkinson relates a funny story about him.


Frank Staley Jr. becomes emotional as he gives a speech as the 2012 Orangeburg Area Citizen of the Year on Thursday night at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center. Staley was the 60th recipient of the award, presented by the Kiwanis Club of Orangeburg. See more photos from this event at TheTandD.com/gallery.

FRANKLY GREATStaley honored as Citizen of the Year

See FRANKLY, A5 See ATTORNEY, A5

See HUNTERS, A5

By MARTHA ROSE BROWNT&D Correspondent

ST. STEPHEN — “Earth has no sorrow that heaven can’t heal,” said Rev. Robert McCutchen, who presided over the “home going” celebration of Anngenette Shaw at St. Stephen Baptist Church in this small Berkeley County town.

Shaw’s death that made headlines a week ago, but on Saturday it was her life that was celebrated by a standing-room-only crowd of mourners.

Those who knew her best called her “Nett” or “Anna Mae.”

“She was a quiet, soft-spoken per-son,” Joy Tindal-Burch said of her 42-year-old friend. They had moved to Eu-tawville at about the same time.

“We took care of one another. Her kids were my kids; my kids were her kids. And she was the ‘queen of yard sales’,” she recalled.

Tindal-Burch said Shaw “decided to give God

her heart. ... I can hear Anngenette saying, ‘Get your house in order’,” she said of her late friend.

She thanked Shaw’s oldest daughter, Courtney S. Scipio, for giving her the opportunity to share her memories during the service.

“Her smile will always be remembered,” Tin-dal-Burch said. “My heart has been broken, for truly a friend has been taken away.”

In addition to Scipio, Shaw’s children include Alexia S. Shaw and Deshanay Ravenell, all three of Moncks Corner; and two sons, Jermaine Bryan and Des-mond Shaw, both of Jamestown.

Shaw was looking forward to the birth of her third grandchild, a boy named “CJ.” Her grieving grandchil-dren include Cambria Scipio and Cha-mairra Bryan.

Shaw’s nine sisters and two brothers also mourn her death.

RISE AND FALL OF A PRESIDENTAT S.C. STATE UNIVERSITY

● DEC. 11, 2007 — S.C. State trustees oust Presi-dent Dr. Andrew Hugine on a 7-3 vote.

● APRIL 29, 2008 — Dr. George E. Cooper visits the S.C. State campus as one of the nalists for presi-dent. He is the deputy administrator for science and education resources development at the U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture and vice president of academic affairs at Alabama A&M University in Huntsville.

● JUNE 6, 2008 — Cooper named 10th president of S.C. State. Then-board Chairman Mau-rice Washington said, “He connected with the search committee, the campus and

the board.”● DEC. 17, 2008 — S.C. State

placed on one-year warning by the Southeastern Associa-

tion of Colleges and Schools for failing to

comply with agency standards.

● MARCH 27, 2009 — Cooper inaugurated as president.

● FEBRU-ARY 2010 — It is learned that Hugine settled a

lawsuit against the university for $60,000.● JUNE 15, 2010 — A divided board votes not to renew Cooper’s contract,

which was to expire at the end of the month. Among those voting against him were two trustees with terms set to expire at the end of the month.

● JULY 1, 2010 — Intense concern was expressed for the university over the course of two weeks, and a prayer vigil was held for the univer-sity. After new trustees take their places on the board, Cooper is retained.

● NOVEMBER 2010 — Coo-per appointed chair of the Council of 1890 Universities.

● DECEMBER 2010 — S.C. State learns it has been reac-credited by SACS for 10 years.

● JAN. 13, 2011 — The S.C. State Faculty Senate says it has “no con dence” in Cooper and his administration.

● DEC. 20, 2011 — S.C. State con rms it hired attorney Reginald Lloyd, but won’t say why. Lloyd is the former head of the State Law Enforcement Divi-sion and former U.S. Attorney for South Carolina.

● FEB. 10, 2012 — S.C. State res eight employees, including the police chief, the chief of staff and vice president of student affairs. The university later says the rings were the result of Lloyd’s internal investigation.

● MARCH 2, 2012 — Cooper announces that he will resign at the end of March, citing a desire to focus on his family and other career interests.

The Times and DemocratSUNDAY

www.TheTandD.com$1.50 ✬ ORANGEBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA | | 16 SECTIONS, 214 PAGES ✬ VOL. 131, NO. 64

MARCH 4, 2012

OVER $220IN COUPON

SAVINGS INSIDE

■ Willie C. “Joe” Bell ~ Springfi eld■ Benjamin Carmichael ~ Springfi eld■ Waymond Walter Evans ~ Orangeburg■ Clarence Smith Gramling ~ Moncks Corner■ Caleb Andrew Greene ~ Orangeburg

■ Denise Ellison King ~ Orangeburg■ Elizabeth “Beck” White Ritter ~ Allendale■ Ralph Singletary ~ Pompano Beach, Fla.■ Dewayne “Bates” Smith ~ Harleyville■ Wayne Douglas Doe ~ Allendale

‘THE THRONE’ELLOREE NATIVE’S GIFT TO GOD, C1

T&D CORRESPONDENT MARTHA ROSE BROWN

Mourners carry the casket of Anngenette Shaw outside St. Stephen Baptist Church on Saturday.

‘Her smile will always be remembered’

Anngenette Shaw

Lawmakers hope SCSU can move on after CooperT&D FILE

Dr. Andrew Hugine

By DIONNE GLEATONT&D Staff Writer

Lawmakers are hopeful that South Carolina State University can make the changes it needs following Dr. George Cooper’s resignation as president.

Sen. John Matthews, D-Bow-man, an alumnus, said, “I think it’s another issue that the uni-versity has to address, but I hope that they would deal with all their issues at one time and get it over with.”

Cooper was hampered by a lack of support on campus, and “I re-ally applaud him for making the decision that, ‘If I can’t do it, I’m going to move on,’” the Bowman Democrat said.

“I’m just going to wish him well in wherever he goes and whatever he does,” he said.

Cooper announced Friday he will resign eff ective March 30 to spend more time with his family and pursue other interests.

The decision followed an inves-tigation into alleged criminal mis-conduct, unethical behavior and mismanagement at the university. Cooper initiated the investigation and said it led to the termination of eight high-level employees on Feb. 10. It is continuing,

Cooper said he believes the investigation will allow trustees to “continue to restore integrity,

trust and academic excellence to this fi ne university.”

Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orange-burg, and another alumnus, said he is not sure whether the inves-tigation “had some bearing” on Cooper’s resignation.

“Until that comes to light, I think the best thing is to really reserve judgment until we can get to the truth. It’s not about the administration or the board. The most important people are the students, their parents who have entrusted their care to the uni-versity and the faculty that are charged with providing the stu-dents with a quality education,” Govan said.

Govan said he hopes Cooper made his own decision to leave the university.

“Whatever the circumstances, I think that he should be commended for taking the prudent action in terms of trying to address any type of

Dr. George E. Cooper is sworn in as president on March 27, 2009.

Cooper is shown with trustee Matthew Richard-son in June 2010, after S.C. State’s board refused to renew Cooper’s contract.

Matthews

DEATHSPlease recycle

this paper.

The Times

and Democrat

recycles newsprint.

6 1 8 1 3 4 2 9 1 1 7 3

Home-delivery subscribers of The Times and Democrat should receive 16 sections today: the A, B, C and D news and sports sections; a 32-page SmartSource coupon supplement; a 24-page Kmart supplement; a 22-page Procter and Gamble coupon supplement; a 16-page CVS supplement; a 16-page Parade magazine; a 16-page Sears supplement; a 16-page Walgreens supple-ment; a 10-page Offi ceMax supplement; an eight-page Home Showcase section; a two-page Bi-Lo supplement; and our four-page color comics section. Subscribers not receiving all sections should call 536-1812.

Books & Movies ...................C2Business .............................B7Classifi ed ............................D4Columns ..............................D3Deaths ................................ A4Editorial ...............................B6Nation/World ....................... A6Outdoors .............................B5Sports .................................B1TV & Entertainment ..............D2Weddings.............................C5Weather ...............................B8

Get rid of board, senator saysBy DIONNE GLEATON

T&D Staff Writer

A Lowcountry senator says he wants more than a new president at South Carolina State University. He wants a whole new board.

“The students have been denied a basic ed-ucation because of the board and president. My primary concern is the kids,” Sen. Robert Ford said.

He wants to give the university a year to fi nd a new president.

Meanwhile, “the board has got to go. We want a whole new slate for those kids coming in next year,” Ford said.

S.C. State President Dr. George Cooper an-nounced Friday that he will resign, eff ective March 30. He will receive a $268,000 sever-ance package.

Ford said, “We’ve given Cooper state money, and they’ve denied the kids a whole lot of opportunities for them to get a good edu-cation.” The university says the money came from a private source, but hasn’t identified it.

The General As-sembly should ap-point a new board and president, Ford said. The Charleston Democrat wants to build on a proposal he made in January 2011, following a 19-3 “no confi dence” vote by the university’s

Govan

Cobb-HunterSee LAWMAKERS, A7

See FORD, A7

Ford

[email protected] Find all news re-garding S.C. State University when you click on our Hot Topics atTheTandD.com

Murder victim’s life celebrated at ‘home going’

See SHAW, A7

GENERAL EXCELLENCEDaily 20,000 - 50,000 Division

Today

Knights baseball: TheCharlotte Knights take on theBuffalo at 7:15 Monday at KnightsStadium in Fort Mill. Buy tickets atwww.charlotteknights.com.

TuesdayYork Tech graduation: York

Technical College’s 2012 graduationceremonies will be at 7 p.m.Tuesday at Winthrop Coliseum.

WednesdayState of the Community: Rock

Hill’s State of the CommunityBreakfast is at 7:30 a.m. Wednesdayat the Rock Hill Country Club.Speakers include Mayor DougEchols, schools SuperintendentLynn Moody and the presidents ofWinthrop University, York TechnicalCollege and Clinton Junior College.Cost is $18 for Chamber ofCommerce members, $23 fornonmembers. Call 803-324-7500.

ThursdayArt reception: The Arts Council

of York County will host a freepublic reception for painter HarrietGoode and fashion designer LuisMachicao Exhibition at 6 p.m.Thursday at the Center for the Artson East Main Street in Rock Hill. Theexhibition runs through June 17.

FridayEagles baseball: The Winthrop

Eagles close out the 2012 regularseason with a three-gamehomestand against High Point at6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and2 p.m. Saturday.

SaturdayBloomFest: The second

Glencairn BloomFest will be from10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in themeadow at Glencairn Garden inRock Hill. Plants, garden art andother items will be for sale. Forinformation, call 803-329-5620.

SundayFirst Rockwell: On May 20,

1916, The Saturday Evening Postpublished its first cover with aNorman Rockwell painting, “Boywith Baby Carriage.”

WEEKAHEAD

ANDY BURRISS [email protected]

Vol. 141, Issue No. 135

The Herald 75 CENTS

S E R V I N G Y O R K ● C H E S T E R ● L A N C A S T E R C O U N T I E S

MONDAY May 14, 2012 Rock Hill ● South Carolina h e r a l d o n l i n e . c o m

+

For delivery questions, please call 1-877-421-6397 or click “subscribe/renew”

at heraldonline.com.

INSIDEAdvice/puzzles 5A Lottery 8A

Classifieds 6-8B Opinion 7A

Comics 6A Sports 1-6B

Deaths 3A TV 5A

Horoscopes 6A Weather 8A

WEATHERShowers and

thunderstorms

HIGH75

LOW61

Details, page 8A

TODAY AT

Enjoy Sudoku and otherpuzzles and games at

heraldonline.com/games.

DEATHSJohn Branch Jr. James Houston Jr. Patsy PorterClara Feely J.C. Jolley Sr. Details, page 3A

Dorothy Fowley Christine LambertGenette Gladden Jesse MinteEtta Gwin Virginia Peaks

Fort Mill begins statetitle series today

YELLOW JACKET BASEBALL ● 1B

By Jonathan [email protected]

ROCK HILL — Take a walk on the 220 acres JohnBranch Jr. called home and it’ll become obvious whatdrove his passions.

Chicken houses in the back. Cows behind fences. Farm-ing tools on the porch.

As his children said on Sunday, Branch – born in 1927and a witness to the Great Depression – was a product ofhis generation.

“He always gave 100 percent,” said Branch’s daughter,58-year-old Regina Clawson. “Whatever he was going todo, he would carry it to the end.”

“He was old enough to know the need for frugality,”said John “David” Branch III, 55, Branch’s older son. “Hehad a strong work ethic.”

And “he believed everybody had a job, everybody didtheir job and everybody worked hard,” said Bob Branch,

the youngest at 49.On Saturday morning, Branch was doing what he al-

ways did – mowing his farmland on John Branch Road,named for his father – when he fell off his tractor and somemachinery ran over him.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, said York CountyCoroner Sabrina Gast. He was 84.

Born and raised in Rock Hill, Branch worked at the RockHill Printing & Finishing Co. before moving to a securityjob at the former Bowater plant.

He then fought in the Korean War. After the war, heworked as a forest ranger for 25 years, often visiting differ-ent schools to teach students about fire and forest safety,his daughter said.

“Conservation was really important to him,” Clawsonsaid. “Whenever a tree died, they’d saw it for lumber.”

Local man dies cutting grass

SPECIAL TO THE HERALDJohn Branch Jr. works in his sawmill. Branch, 84,died Saturday after he fell from his tractor whilemowing grass on his farm.

84-year-old Rock Hill farmer thrown from tractor

See FARMER ● 8A

Last week, the spotlight shone brieflyon people proud to stand up and say,“We Are Lancaster.”

Led by the governor, other politicians,business leaders and, most importantly,the workers of the Cooley Group, it was atime to celebrate. It was formally an-nounced that the plant had made a poly-ethylene product that will wrap the Olym-pic Stadium in London, “like a sheet.”

Two days after the announcement,attentions turned to a shooting anddouble murder about five miles south ofthe Cooley plant. It was the ninth and10th homicides in Lancaster this year. Inall of 2011 there were five homicides inthe county.

Sheriff Barry Faile, who had been

among those celebrating Monday, saidhe was frustrated over the killings. “Peo-ple need to take responsibility for theirown actions,” he said.

Wednesday’s killings took the focusoff people such as Glenn Starnes, JerryHelms, Mayor Joe Shaw and DanielDwight.

Starnes worked for Springs Industries

for 28 years, losing his job when thetextile giant sold its Lancaster operationsin 2004. Starnes was among the Springsemployees who found opportunity at theCooley Group, which had come to Lan-caster in 2002.

Most of what Cooley does is based intextiles. Dwight, the company’s CEO andpresident, said, “We are a technicaltextile plant.”

Starnes was also among those whotook exception to CNN’s reporting inFebruary that Lancaster was a dyingtown. He said the reporting came fromsomeone who didn’t know the area.“We’re not who CNN says we are,”

INNOVATION IN LANCASTER

DON WORTHINGTON - [email protected] Group team leader Jimmy Helms explains that the brown reservoir liner at the Lancaster plant is the only makein the U.S. The two lines turn burlap from South Carolina into everything from a roofing membrane to reservoir liners.

Cooley Group sells worldwide

Don WorthingtonBusiness Editor

See WORTHINGTON ● 8A

By Scott MayerowitzAssociated Press

NEW YORK— The class of 2012 isleaving college with something thatmany graduates since the start of therecent recession have lacked: jobs.

To the relief of graduating seniors –and their anxious parents – the out-look is brighter than it has been in fouryears. Campus job fairs were packedthis spring, and more companies arehiring. Students aren’t just findinggood opportunities; some are weigh-ing multiple offers.

In some ways, members of the classof 2012 got lucky. They arrived on cam-pus in September 2008, the samemonth that Wall Street investmentbank Lehman Brothers collapsed,touching off a financial crisis that exac-erbated the recession.

On campus, they were largely insu-lated from the collapsing U.S. econo-my. While older brothers and sistersgraduated into a dismal job market,they took shelter in chemistry, philoso-phy and literature classes.

They used their college years to pre-pare for the brutal realities of the jobmarket that would await them. Theybegan networking for jobs much earli-er, as freshmen in some cases. Theypursued summer internships not sim-ply as resume boosters, but as gate-ways to permanent jobs. And they de-veloped more realistic expectationsabout landing a job in the ideal placeand at the ideal salary.

On campuses across the country,spirits are more upbeat this spring, andthe employment outlook is especiallypromising, according to interviewswith three dozen seniors and career

More jobsavailablefor 2012graduates

See JOBS ● 8A

THIRD PLACE:

The Herald


The year’s hottest trends | Page 1E

PROM FASHION

Half-priced gift certificates atWags & Whiskers | Page 9A

Columnist:Life can wait,Pinterest iscalling 1E

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA | MyrtleBeachOnline.com | MARCH 4, 2012 $2 .00☎626-8555

SUNDAYPartly cloudy

54Monday

Mostly sunny

56FORECAST | 8C

INSIDE ➤ Comics | inside ➤ Crosswords | in comics ➤ Obituaries | 7C ➤ Scoreboard | 6B ➤ TV | 6E ➤ Vol. 62, No. 64 © 2012 Sun Publishing Co.

READ BY MORE THAN250,000 IN PRINT AND

ONLINE EACH WEEK

Tourism will continue to lift the GrandStrand economy this spring, though risinggas prices are throwing a wild card into anotherwise rosy forecast.

The Grand Strand’s tourism-basedeconomy is expected to be better thisspring than last, with gains in tourism and

retail and growth in the number of jobs,though the housing woes remain the weakspot and will persist throughout the springand for some time to come, according to thespring economic forecast by Coastal Caro-lina University economist Rob Salvino.

“We were hit real hard in the recessionbut we are coming out of it,” he said. “Myr-tle Beach is recovering. Most of that can beseen in tourism.”

Hotel reservations for the spring and

Strand’s economicoutlook optimistic

BY STEVE JESSMORE [email protected] Plantation restaurant manager Chris Ward (center left) talks with Willard Nichols of Conway aboutopenings. There was a steady stream of job seekers as Goodwill and the North Myrtle Beach Chamber ofCommerce held a job fair Thursday afternoon at the Myrtle Beach mall. Experts are expecting more jobs this year.

BY CHARLES SLATE [email protected] Thompkins paints metal braces on the exterior of the Burger ParadiseWednesday on Ocean Boulevard as they prepare for a 2012 tourist seasonthat’s predicted to be better than last year.

BY JANET BLACKMON MORGAN

[email protected] gas continues to rise, it couldunsettle the economic recovery.

summer have been coming in ahead of lastyear, some hoteliers say, aiming to keep themomentum from the winter, when – eventhough it’s the slowest time of the year fortourism – it was busier than usual thanksin part to the mild temperatures, some say.

But rising gas prices could threaten theexpected tourism gains if they reach $5 agallon here, experts say, though the prices

MORE PHOTOSView more photos at MyrtleBeachOnline.com .

Four factors add up to suggest a better spring seasonBY DAWN BRYANT AND JANELLE FROST

[email protected]@thesunnews.com

See ECONOMY | Page 17A

An Upstate lawmaker isproposing legislation thatwould eliminate some of whatprosecutors call loopholes inthe state’s drunken drivinglaws, making it easier to getconvictions in DUI cases.

A Myrtle Beach defenselawyer, however, is calling theproposal an erosion of defen-dants’ rights to a fair trial.

The proposal, introducedlast week, is important forHorry County because nearlythree-fourths of DUI caseshere are either dismissed orreduced to lesser charges dueto a complexity in the law andmistakes made by police offi-cers when they arrest sus-pects, according to a studylast year by The Sun News.

“This would be a step in theright direction to get a littlemore reasonableness and san-ity in the law instead of tryingto build traps and tripwires,”said Greg Hembree, solicitor

for the state’s 15th JudicialCircuit, which includes Horryand Georgetown counties.

Defense lawyer WilliamMonckton said the problemisn’t with the law itself butwith training police officers inthe proper way to follow exist-ing regulations.

“I don’t call them loopholes,I call it a training issue,”Monckton said. “You have aprocess set up, and if theofficer doesn’t do it right that’sa t r a i n i n g i s s u e , n o t a

Proposalcould boostrate of DUIconvictions Official’s bill aims to reduceloopholes in the state’s law

Fast factA study by The Sun News

last year showed just 26.1

percent of the people

charged with DUI or driving

with an unlawful alcohol

concentration in Horry

County wound up with

convictions for those

charges.

See DUI | Page 17A

BY DAVID WREN

[email protected]

COLUMBIA | About 60 stateboards, commissions and com-mittees are expected to get ad-ditional members because ofSouth Carolina’s new 7th Con-gressional District, givingGrand Strand- and Pee Dee-area residents more say instate government.

South Carolina gained thedistrict, anchored in fast-grow-ing Horry County in the north-eastern part of the state, be-cause of population growth. Itsboundaries are being chal-lenged in court by black law-makers who say the new con-gressional district, drawn by

the Republican-controlledG e n e r a l A s s e m b l y, i sdiscriminatory.

But if the plan remains in-tact, it could be a boon forGrand Strand and Pee Dee vot-ers, particularly when it comesto road improvements.

“Both symbolically and di-rectly, it’s a testament to ourhigh-growth area,” said stateSen. Luke Rankin, R-MyrtleBeach. “More folks from ourarea will be eligible to serve onm o r e b o a r d s a n dcommissions.”

The 60 or so affected boardsand commissions require onemember from each congressio-

See DISTRICT | Page 18A

7th District seatscould give Strandmore clout in S.C.

BY GINA SMITH

[email protected]

COLUMBIA | Hundreds of thou-sands of dollars are missingfrom the S.C. Hospitality Asso-

ciation, and the prominent exec-utive and lobbyist who built theorganization from scratch wasburied Friday, after apparentlytaking his own life. Meanwhile,another employee of the associ-

ation has been named a personof interest in a federal probe in-to the missing money.

Now, the organization thatrepresents South Carolina’s $14billion-a-year tourism industry

must rebuild its credibility withits 2,000 members, lawmakersand the public.

To do so, experts say, it must

New tourism leader: ‘We are going to do the right things’ BY JEFF WILKINSON

[email protected]

See TOURISM | Page 18A

1-hour massage at EssentialKneads Massage | Page 6A

IN KICKS!

Johnsonscrambles

in TourChampionshipopening | 1B

Fresh lookat fall art

exhibitsacross

Strand

National political iconsJames Carville and Mary Mata-lin will visit Myrtle Beach aspart of a 7th Congressional Dis-trict debate sponsored by theMyrtle Beach Area Chambersof Commerce and the Grand

Strand Business Alliance.Carville and Matalin will

lead the pre-debate program at6:30 p.m. on Oct. 17 at MyrtleBeach High School, with a de-bate between candidates GloriaTinubu and Tom Rice begin-ning at 8 p.m.

Carville, best known as “The

Ragin’ Cajun,” is a best-sellingauthor, actor, producer, talk-show host, speaker and restau-rateur. His ticket to fame hasbeen taking underdog candi-dates to landslide victories.

Matalin is one of the mostcelebrated and popular conser-vative voices in America. As an

author, television and radiohost, and widely sought afterpolitical contributor, punditand public speaker, she is notedfor her straightforward man-ner and insightful political wit.She served under President

‘Ragin Cajun’ Carville, Matalin to visit MBFrom staff reports

See VISIT | Page 9ACarville Matalin

For Back or Neck Pain, You Need the Right Care

8170 Rourk Street, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29572 • spineandneurocenter.com

Call (843) 449-2336 or toll free 1 (855) 348-7233. With one call for an evaluation, you get a team of medical specialists who can pinpoint and treat the source of your pain.

Regional Medical Center

MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA | MyrtleBeachOnline.com | SEPTEMBER 21, 2012 75¢☎626-8555

INSIDE ➤ Comics | 5-6D ➤ Crosswords | 3D, 5D ➤ Things to do | 2A ➤ Obituaries | 5C ➤ Scoreboard | 7B ➤ Television | 7D ➤ Vol. 62, No. 265 © 2012 Sun Publishing Co.

FRIDAYMostly sunny

82S aturday

Mostly sunny

84FORECAST | 6C

READ BY 7 OUT OF 10ADULTS IN PRINT ANDONLINE EACH WEEK

A push is being made by theSouth Atlantic Fishery Man-agement Council (SAFMC) toexpedite a stock assessmentfor black sea bass before the2013-14 fishing season, whichs t a r t s i n l e s s t h a n n i n emonths, on June 1.

Black sea bass are a staplespecies on the S.C. coast, andthe fishing season for themhas dwindled over the lastthree years to a low of only 96

days this sea-s o n , w h i c hopened June 1and closed onSept. 4 in theSouth AtlanticRegion.

With a quo-t a o f o n l y4 0 9 , 0 0 0p o u n d s o fblack sea bassfor recreation-

al fishermen in the entire re-gion, the real possibility existsthe season could be evenshorter in 2013 and close dur-ing the summer tourist seasonsince fishermen say the recov-ering species is growing innumbers and size and the quo-ta is being caught quicker.

The quota, or annual catchlimit (ACL), has remained atthe current level although ad-amant testimonials from fish-ermen who have made it clearthe black sea bass stocks arein much better shape.

C o u n c i l m e m b e r To mSwatzel of Murrells Inlet, inan email sent before lastweek’s SAFMC meeting inCharleston, urged his fellowcouncil members to help in ex-p e d i t i n g t h e s t o c kassessment.

Swatzel’s impetus is to helpthe state’s fishing industryand coastal economy by tryingto achieve a larger ACL andthus a longer fishing seasonthat would extend through thesummer and into the fall oreven winter months.

“The recreational black seabass fishery is vital to charter

Counciltakesstepsto easequotaGroup wantsblack sea bassstock assessed

BY GREGG HOLSHOUSER

For The Sun News

See COUNCIL | Page 9A

InsideYates Sea

wins

Marshwalk

Kingstalk,

claims SKA

crown |

Page 1B

PAWLEYS ISLAND | A big-box storecould be coming to Pawleys Islanddespite the protests of residentswho spoke out, almost entirely,against plans to redevelop PawleysPlaza discussed at the GeorgetownCounty Planning Commission meet-ing Thursday.

The commission voted unani-mously to let the redevelopmentmove forward with limits.

PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING

Pawleys Island speaks out

PHOTOS BY JANET BLACKMON MORGAN [email protected] Rodrigues (left), owner of the Gullah Museum and Gullah O’oman Shop in Pawleys Island, said she welcomes a “big box” store to bringjobs during a Georgetown County Planning Commission meeting at Waccamaw High School on Thursday. The Pawleys Island Plaza developers,Mount Pleasant-based Sunbelt Ventures, is asking for a 119,500-square-foot main building.

Richard Mooreof the Don’t BoxThe Neck group

wears shirtswith a quote

from a JoniMitchell song as

he opposes theexpansion of the

plaza.

MOREPHOTOS

View more photos of

the meeting at

Myrtle BeachOnline.com .

It was standing room only in thecafeteria at Waccamaw High Schoolwhere the overflow crowd from theauditorium watched the planningcommission meet on video stream-ing from a projector. Inside the audi-torium, 90 people signed up tospeak during public comment, andmost of them opposed a potentialWal-Mart.

“I would ask this distinguishedbody to be real careful of approving

Community nays redevelopmentBY AMANDA KELLEY

[email protected]

See MEETING | Page 9A

WASHINGTON | The most dis-liked, unproductive Congressin decades planned to leave

Washington this week until af-ter the November election, de-parting without agreementson virtually every big issue itdeals with: taxes, defense,spending, farms, even post of-fice policy.

Lawmakers spent Thursdaypointing fingers and chargingopponents with cynical politi-cal posturing. Among Con-gress’ last decisions was acharacteristic 2012 judgment:Punt action until later. It will

let the farm bill, a broad mea-sure that sets the nation’s agri-culture and food and nutritionassistance policies, expireSept. 30.

Congress also exits withoutany serious effort to edge away

from the “fiscal cliff,” the pros-pect of economy-damagingbudget chaos if it doesn’t act byyear’s end. Bush-era tax cutsare due to expire, and automat-

See CONGRESS | Page 9A

Unproductive and unloved, Congress heads home BY DAVID LIGHTMAN AND

WILLIAM DOUGLAS

McClatchy Newspapers

SECOND PLACE:

The Sun News


www.GoUpstate.com

INSIDE

VOLUME 167NUMBER 265

Business C5Classified D1Comics B9Crossword D9Dear Abby A2Horoscope D9Faith & Values E1Obituaries C2 Opinion A6Weather C8

HJIN A HURRY

Equine therapyHope Remains Youth Ranch in Boiling Springs serves youth ages 5-17 who exhibit anger issues, defi ant behaviors, ADD, ADHD, problems in school, depression and other issues, as well as youth who just want to “hang out” at the ranch in a positive Christian environment. PAGE E1

Firefi ghter honoredA Startex fi refi ghter who died a day after responding to emergency calls last year will be honored during the National Fallen Firefi ghters Memorial Service in October. PAGE C1

Hate crimesSixteen Amish men and women were convicted Thursday of hate crimes for a series of hair- and beard-cutting attacks on fellow sect members in a reli-gious dispute that offered a rare and sometimes lurid glimpse into the closed and usually self-regulating community of believers. PAGE A4

$54,000 tripSouth Carolina taxpayers spent about $54,000 on an international trade meeting in Japan led by Gov. Nikki Haley, Commerce offi cials said Thursday. PAGE C3

Unexpected fi rstHours after a British soldier in Afghanistan told medics she was suffering from stomach pains, she unexpectedly gave birth to a boy — the fi rst child ever born to a member of Britain’s armed forces in combat. PAGE A7

WeatherMostly sunnyHigh 82Low 62

5 Th ings to read today

SEPTEMBER 21 , 2012 SPARTANBURG, S.C.

50 cents

FRIDAY

A Giant defeat New York pummels Carolina, 36-7 B1

CANCER ATTACKS FROMEVERY ANGLE. SO DO WE.

S015-1545135

By PETE YOSTThe Associated Press

WASHINGTON — House Republicans eagerly joined the Justice Department’s inspector general in taking the agency to task Thursday for its bungled gun-traffi cking investigation in Arizona that allowed hundreds of weapons to reach Mexican drug rings.

At a committee hearing, Democrats fought an uphill battle as the committee’s Republi-cans, led by its chairman, Rep. Darrell Issa of California, wrapped themselves in the fi nd-ings of Inspector General Michael Horowitz about Operation Fast and Furious.

Horowitz faulted the Justice Department

for misguided strategies, errors in judgment and management failures in a gun-tracking operation that he said disregarded public safety.

“There needs to be supervision; there needs to be oversight,” and law enforcement operations like Operation Fast and Furious need to be referred from the start to “the highest levels” of the department, Horowitz testified. His report faulted midlevel and senior officials for not briefing Attorney General Eric Holder much earlier.

Issa declared that Horowitz’s 471-page

GOP hails Fast, Furious probe Inspector general faults Justice for errors, judgments

J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/AP

Rep. Trey Gowdy questions Michael Horowitz, the Justice Department’s internal watchdog, as he appears before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Thursday.

JOHN BYRUM/[email protected]

Thousands of people ate at Chick-fil-A restaurants across the Upstate as part of a national Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day in August, including these customers waiting outside a location on Spartanburg’s west side.

JOHN BYRUM/[email protected]

Marsha Gibbs stands with representatives from the different sports played at Converse College. Gibbs and her husband are donating money to build a new field house for the athletic department. Below is an artist’s rendering of the new Marsha H. Gibbs Field House.

Chick-fil-A feeling fried

By BILL BARROWThe Associated Press

ATLANTA — Chick-fil-A is once again in the public relations fryer.

The controversy flared up this week when a Chicago politician said the company no longer was giving to groups that oppose same-sex mar-riage, angering Christian conserva-tives who supported Chick-fi l-A this summer when its president reaffi rmed

his opposition to gay marriage. Civil rights groups hailed the

turnabout, yet the company never confirmed it. Instead, the company released two public statements, nei-ther of which made Chick-fi l-A’s posi-tion any clearer.

The events suggest the Southernfranchise might be trying to steerclear of hot-button social issues whileit expands in other, less conservativeregions of the country. In its state-ment Thursday, the Georgia-based

Chain caught in second storm on gay marriage

By LEE G. [email protected]

In an effort to keep up with continued growth in Converse College’s athletics programs, school leaders plan to break ground on the new Marsha H. Gibbs Field House this fall.

Enhancements to playing fi elds also are on the horizon.The roughly $5.5 million project will be funded, in part, by a

$2.5 million donation from Jimmy Gibbs and his wife, Marsha, a Converse trustee, school offi cials announced Thursday.

In the past decade, the Converse athletics programs have doubled from fi ve to 10, school offi cials said, and student ath-letes now make up about 25 percent of the school’s student

COURTESY OF MCMILLAN PAZDAN SMITH

Converse athletics getting bigger

Marsha, Jimmy Gibbs donate $2.5M for $5.5M fi eld house

◆ SEE PROBE PAGE A5

◆ SEE CHAIN PAGE A5

◆ SEE CONVERSE PAGE A5

GENERAL EXCELLENCEDaily Over 50,000 Division

Mostly cloudy. High 86. Low 63. Complete 5-day forecast, B8

CONTACT USClassified ........................................722-6500Home delivery .............. 853-POST (7678)General offices .............................577-7111Newsroom .....................................937-5582

Bridge ................ D7Business ............. B6Classifieds ...........E1Comics ............. D6,7Crosswords .. D6,E10Editorials .......... A12Horoscope .......... D7

Local News ......... B1Movies ............... D4Moxie ................. D1Obituaries .......... B4Sports .................C1Sudoku ............... D2Television ........... D5

INDEX

Setting the record straight ....................A2

N

S

BY NATALIE [email protected]

Inside the charred building of North Charleston’s Mill Inn, Teresa Haught’s body was found face down surround-ed by shattered glass near the bar.

The 36-year-old, who managed the Montague Avenue bar, was beaten to death with a wine carafe. An autopsy revealed that her killer struck her face, f rac t u i ng her skull in several places.

Someone set the bar on fire, and in-vestigators found a blood-stained dollar bill and hair in Haught’s hand. The year was 1997.

We s le y Ma x Myers, 53, has spent the past 11 years in prison after a jury found him guilty of the killing and a judge sentenced him to 30 years in prison in 2001.

He had confessed to police that he murdered his ex-girlfriend in a jeal-ous rage, but later maintained his in-nocence.

Circuit Judge Markley Dennis ruled Tuesday that Myers is entitled to a new trial, based on new evidence as well as rights violations during the original trial.

Recent DNA testing, using technol-ogy that didn’t exist at the time of the trial, showed that the hair found in Haught’s hand was not Myers’, and neither was the blood on the dollar bill, according to the ruling’s docu-ments.

The judge also ruled that Myers was denied his constitutional right to be present during all critical stages of his trial, the ruling said.

Myers was not present for several meetings between the judge and ju-rors, according to the ruling. His absence included an instance during

New trial could hinge on DNA1997 slaying case may be revisited

Wesley Max Myers was convicted in 2001 of killing his ex-girlfriend, Teresa Haught.

Amputation doesn’t get in the way of young athlete’s success

Sports, C1

Another scandal — but this time, Rosa and The Citadel get it right

Brian Hicks, B1

Blowout in Carolina as Panthers take on defending champs

Sports, C1

‘Airworthiness’? FAA takes steps to make sure 787s are fit to fly

Business, B6

Fish tanks: Calming, educational and a lesson in responsibility

Moxie, D1

Coming SundayOur home insurance rates have gone through the roof. What can we do about it? Plenty. Read the latest install-ment of “Storm of Money” for ideas on how you can fight back.

More on the airport boardWith elections delayed, Chip Limehouse (left) hangs on as board chairman. B1

Travel records released for 2 Charleston County Aviation Authority officials. B3

H U R R I C A N E H U G O 2 3 Y E A R S L AT E R{ }

BY WARREN L. [email protected]

The turbulence on the Charles-ton County Aviation Authority shows no signs of letting up.

This time it’s over incentives for JetBlue Airways, a package almost identical to the one of-fered to Southwest Airlines two years ago that hardly raised an

eyebrow.During Thursday’s airport

agency meeting, former U.S. Rep. Tommy Hartnett, an air-port board member, wanted to know why the entire board did not know about the announce-ment ahead of time and who approved the $200,000 incen-tive package to lure the low-cost carrier to Charleston.

JetBlue announced last week that it will start two nonstop f lights to New York and one nonstop flight to Boston each day starting Feb. 28. Tickets went on sale Thursday.

“It’s a wonderful addition to our list of carriers,” Hartnett said. “Why wasn’t the authority

Airport board squabbles over JetBlue deal

See what it will cost to fly

JetBlue

PROVIDED

State health officials have stopped demolition work on the former Charleston Naval Base after asbestos was found.

BY ROBERT [email protected]

State environmental officials have stopped demolition work on steam pipes at the former Charles-ton Naval Base because they were wrapped in asbestos.

State Department of Health and Environmental Control of-ficials visited the site last week in

response to an anonymous com-plaint, and the inspector found what appeared to be asbestos and halted work, DHEC spokesman Jim Beasley said Thursday.

Later tests by two laboratories indicated that the material was asbestos, he said.

The work site is a fenced-in yard just south of the base’s former power plant. Asbestos is a natu-rally occurring mineral once used for insulation; it no longer is used because it can cause cancer.

Asbestos at former baseDHEC halts demolition work on steam pipes

InsideAbout the Noisette Project. A6

The risks of asbestos. A6

Please see ASBESTOS, Page A6

BY BO PETERSEN // [email protected]

IT’S EERILY QUIET for the height of the hurricane season.A tropical storm and a gale spun well out to sea Thursday with no threat

to the coast. The only cyclones to threaten the Lowcountry so far have been tropical storms Alberto and Beryl, back in May.

No storms appear to be ready to form in forecasting models that predict a week or two ahead. It’s shaping up to be another uneventful year for us, so far.

“We’re not out of the woods yet, but I’m seeing fewer trees,” said Mark Malsick, S.C. Climate Office severe weather liaison.

So it’s a little incongruous to bring up that on this date in 1989, Hurricane Hugo slammed ashore centered over Breach Inlet and left the place in splinters.

‘People in way’ of next Hugo

Since that deadly storm hit 23 years ago today, we’re better prepared, but more vulnerable

BUSINESS, B6

Please see INCENTIVES, Page A10

Mark Clark

decision next

week?LOCAL & STATE, B1

READ MORE: Go to postandcourier.com/hugo for a look back at the hurricane, including photos, videos and reader stories.

Please see HUGO, Page A4

FILE/WADE SPEES/STAFF

Fishing boats came to rest next to Silver Hill Plantation near McClellanville after the tidal surge of Hurricane Hugo on Sept. 21-22, 1989.

Please see DNA, Page A6

Charleston, North Charleston, S.C. $1.00

T H E S O U T H ’ S O L D E S T D A I LY N E W S PA P E R F O U N D E D 1 8 0 3.POSTANDCOURIER.COM FRIDAY, September 21, 2012

And the winner is...

South CarolinaNewspaper Network

iPads donated by:

Date post:	10-May-2015
Category:	Documents
Upload:	sc-press-association
View:	1,640 times
Download:	4 times

Daily Presentation [9 of 9]

Documents