TheState.com: Local / Metro

Democrats choose Obama in thunderous acclamation

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:44 EDT

Barack Obama stepped triumphantly into history Wednesday night, the first black American to win a major party presidential nomination, as thousands of Democrats transformed their convention hall into a joyful, shouting celebration.

Former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton asked delegates to the party convention to make their verdict unanimous "in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory." And they did, with a roar.

Competing chants of "Obama" and "Yes we can" surged up from the convention floor as the outcome of a carefully scripted roll call of the states was announced.

Obama, the son of a black Kenyan father and a white American mother, is now one victory from becoming president of a nation where, just decades ago, many blacks were denied the vote.

Wednesday night he was across town in his hotel suite as the party punched his ticket into the general election campaign against Republican Sen. John McCain. He was expected to briefly visit the Pepsi Center later in the evening to thank the delegates.

I-26 shooting possibly in view of camera

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:01 EDT

An S.C. Department of Transportation camera on Interstate 26 might have captured clues about what happened to a woman found shot in her car Sunday.

But video from the cameras, installed on interstates around the state, isn’t recorded.

Authorities think Natasha Warren was killed between midnight Friday and midnight Saturday.

The 23-year-old mother of two had pulled over to the side of an exit ramp on I-26 at Bush River Road, with a flat tire.

She walked up the exit ramp to the Sunoco gas station convenience store and made her first call for help about 10:30 p.m. said Lt. Chris Cowan, Richland County Sheriff’s Department spokesman.

Woman shoots self in head in hospital

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:07 EDT

Updated 12:39 p.m.
A patient in the Palmetto Health Richland emergency care area took a revolver from a Department of Corrections officer’s holster and shot herself in the head. She was in critical condition late Tuesday, Columbia police said.

The S.C. Department of Corrections this morning convened a panel to review the shooting and policies that apply to the transfer of inmates from correctional institutions to hospitals.

"Providing a safe and secure environment for the public, agency staff and inmates is the Corrections Department’s top priority, and the agency is closely examining events that transpired before this unfortunate incident. As part of the policy examination, agency staff also will meet today with hospital administrators," a news release from the Department of Corrections said.

No one else was injured in the 7:19 p.m. shooting, which occurred in a hallway in the hospital’s emergency department. The hospital diverted patients to other facilities for about two hours because of the shooting.

Police did not release the woman’s name or say why she had been placed in the emergency department for care.

Lexington County: Out-of-state license tags targeted

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:03 EDT

Lexington County leaders are experimenting with a way to find and tax drivers who keep out-of-state tags to avoid paying county taxes.

The auditor’s office has created a form that requires tag whistleblowers to come forward as witnesses.

But auditor Chris Harmon said enforcing penalties, such as suspending drivers’ licenses, gets tricky because state law is unclear.

“We don’t want to be too aggressive — go out and bully people,” Harmon told County Council on Tuesday.

He faced an impatient council. Several of its nine members pressed Harmon to solve the obstacles and find a way to make motorists who use county roads and services pay taxes.

New Farmers Market gets official start today

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:08 EDT

South Carolina’s agriculture chief plans to break ground for the new State Farmers Market at 10 a.m. today.

Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers said a decade of wrangling over where to build the market at which farmers from across the state can sell their produce should be over.

Workers are clearing land for the new market on a 174-acre site along U.S. 321 about two miles south of Cayce.

If all goes as planned, the market should open before tomatoes, peaches and watermelons ripen in spring 2010, Weathers said. The state is paying $22.5 million, with private companies and Lexington County picking up any additional cost.

The current State Farmers Market stands across from Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.

Gamecocks sitting pretty

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:07 EDT

They did not make a big deal about it, at least publicly. But a few years ago, USC officials looked at the facilities arms race in college football and faced a major decision:

They could renovate or replace Williams-Brice Stadium, either of which would have cost a bundle. Or they could make incremental improvements every year at the stadium with a capacity of 80,250, which was built in 1934 by the Works Progress Administration.

They opted for the latter, with a strategy to “chip away,” as athletics director Eric Hyman put it. This year’s improvements will cost $5.6 million — and some of them aren’t so little.

Two big-ticket items are being worked on as USC prepares to open its football season Thursday night. A new athletic training room, costing $2.4 million, should be ready by mid-September. The Champions Club, a luxury seating area that cost nearly $1 million, will be used during the opener.

“(Williams-Brice) is the focal point of our athletic department,” said Kevin O’Connell, USC’s associate athletics director for facilities. “Football drives the revenue, and it’s extremely important that we do the things for the stadium to keep it pristine, not only for the life of the stadium but also for the fans.”

Students scramble as twister hits Clemson + video

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 09:01 EDT

CLEMSON — A tornado spawned from the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay touched down Tuesday afternoon in Clemson, sending students scrambling for cover.

Trees and power lines were knocked down and several homes near campus were damaged, but no injuries were reported, authorities said.

A spotter reported the tornado in Clemson at 2:56 p.m., about 15 minutes after a tornado warning was issued, according to the National Weather Service.

The worst of the damage happened near Clemson University’s football stadium and not far from the downtown area, Pickens County emergency management director Don Evett said.

“It’s been raining all afternoon and the warnings were out for a while, so word had gotten out about the storms,” Evett said.

Independent Corrections audit sought

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:08 EDT

COLUMBIA — The American Civil Liberties Union called Tuesday for the National Institute of Corrections to independently audit the South Carolina Corrections Department.

The request comes after the Legislative Audit Council canceled its plans for a Corrections Department workers survey that agency director Jon Ozmint had criticized in an e-mail and newsletter.

The ACLU’s letter requesting the federal review went to Gov. Mark Sanford because the Corrections Department is under his control. Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said the governor is considering the request, but no decision has been made.

Corrections spokesman Josh Gelinas said the ACLU’s request isn’t out of line with what the prison agency has wanted for months

When the council began working on the audit, Gelinas said the department encouraged it to get independent experts familiar with prison operations and specifically encouraged the council to work with the National Institute of Corrections, a U.S./ Department of Justice agency that gives state prisons technical assistance.

Jonathon Rush going country

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:13 EDT

Two familiar voices on local morning radio will have new homes starting Tuesday.

Jonathon Rush, the longtime host of WNOK-FM 104.7’s “The Morning Rush,” will move his show to WCOS-FM 97.5. He’s replacing Charlie James, who will move to WVOC-AM 560 and begin working with the morning team of Gary David and Christopher Thompson.

All three stations are owned by Clear Channel.

LJ Smith, Clear Channel Columbia’s director of programming, said the moves have been discussed for weeks. “When we saw how many listeners COS and NOK were sharing, we thought it was a no-brainer,” he said. “A lot of people at WCOS would jump over to hear Jonathon Rush.

“And Charlie's always wanted to do news talk.”

Hispanic enrollment is up

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:03 EDT

“Bienvenidos a Arden Elementary School,” the Richland 1 school’s Web site greets its Spanish-speaking families.

Translated, that means: “Welcome to Arden Elementary School.”

With 73 students, or 24 percent of its student body, of Hispanic descent, it’s not unusual to hear more than a smattering of Spanish on the playgrounds and in the classrooms at this North Columbia school.

“With the influx of new students, it has broadened our view of the world,” said Betty Kidd, a curriculum resource teacher.

One in five public school students is now of Hispanic descent, up from one in eight in 1990, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center.

SAT scores edge higher

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:07 EDT

South Carolina’s college-bound seniors scored slightly higher on the SAT in 2008 and improved even more on the College Board’s Advanced Placement Tests, officials said Tuesday.

There was a 3 percent increase — to 15,362 from 14,922 — in the number of seniors who scored high enough on the Advanced Placement exams to earn college credit, a statistic that pleased state Education Superintendent Jim Rex.

“It’s kind of a combination of good news and some very good news,” said Rex, who was in Denver on Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention.

But the achievement gap between African-American and white students remains stubbornly intractable, except in the area of Advanced Placement, which showed substantial improvement, he said.

South Carolina seniors’ average composite SAT score for critical reading, math and writing was 1,461, up two points from 2007 but still 50 points below the national average of 1,511, the College Board reported.

Clinton releases her delegates to vote for Obama

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:14 EDT

Less than an hour before the Democratic convention calls the roll of the states, Hillary Rodham Clinton began an emotional gathering with her delegates Wednesday by telling them she was releasing them as delegates to vote for Barack Obama. Many in the crowded ballroom yelled back "No!"

Clinton told her delegates she's not telling them what to do, adding: "You've come here from so many different places, having made this journey and feeling in your heart what is right for you to do."

Clinton told her loyal followers: "I want you to know that this has been a joy. Yes, we didn't make it. But, boy, did we have a good time."

Democrats were poised to formally deliver the party's presidential nomination to Barack Obama on Wednesday, making him the first black nominee of a major party. While the historic outcome was certain, suspense remained over how the vote of delegates would proceed, and for how long.

Obama planned a mid-afternoon arrival in the convention city after campaigning in Montana.

Spotlight shines on Clyburn tonight

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:16 EDT

DENVER — After a reception at a posh restaurant in downtown Denver — but before his second news conference of the day — U.S. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn gets a moment to order lunch.

“Uh, maybe just a sandwich,” he tells a staffer, not bothering to look at the menu. Then, he disappears down the restaurant’s narrow stairway, his three-man security detail in tow.

The Columbia Democrat winds through the restaurant’s kitchen, causing chefs in white hats to pause, before Clyburn squeezes into management’s small office just in time to pick up the phone for a media teleconference.

Welcome to Clyburn’s hectic life this week during the Democratic National Convention where he’s averaging 14 events a day, 17-hour workdays.

NEW POWER, NEW PROFILE

Police Blotter

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:03 EDT

COLUMBIA POLICE

Price Avenue, 1000 block: A man was arrested at 3 p.m. Saturday after witnesses said he started a fight. When officers arrived, they found the 17-year-old screaming profanities and insults to people nearby. When officers tried to subdue him, he began to yell at and insult them. He was charged with disorderly conduct.

Garners Ferry Road, 7000 block: Police were called to a business recently after someone pried the front door open and stole a cash register with $50 in it.

RICHLAND COUNTY SHERIFF

Decker Blvd., 2700 block: Police were called to a discount department store at 5 p.m. Sunday after employees said that a woman wrapped numerous cleaning items and then walked out of the store without paying. Witnesses told police the woman came into the store and began to pick up various bottles and cans of cleaning sprays. She picked up a gift bag, put the materials in the bag and walked out to a car.

Wofford develops energy lecture series

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:03 EDT

Wofford College is joining with Santee Cooper to create a lecture series about energy issues.

The state-owned utility will give $25,000 annually to the Upstate college for the event. At least two lectures are planned annually.

The first lecture will christen Wofford’s new environmental studies center next year. The college begins an environmental studies program this fall.

Mount Pleasant firehouse gets pet oxygen masks

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:03 EDT

Mount Pleasant is the latest town in South Carolina to use oxygen masks on pets caught in fires.

The town’s five fire stations now have masks for both dogs and cats who, like humans, often need to be treated with oxygen as the result of smoke inhalation.

Fire Chief Herb Williams says pets are a big part of people’s lives and often get scared and hide in a house during a fire, making them more susceptible to smoke.

Pet oxygen masks are already used by firefighters in Spartanburg, Bluffton and Hilton Head.

Horry equips police with noise meters

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:03 EDT

Horry County will equip some police officers with meters to enforce county noise restrictions better.

Officials say it’s just to deal with the ongoing growth in the Grand Strand.

County Public Safety Director Paul Whitten says the meters will be used to help determine if the current noise limits need changes.

Noise from construction, rowdy behavior and loud musical instruments is outlawed between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Animal society looks for lost pig’s owner

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:08 EDT

You would think it would be hard to loose an almost 500-pound pig. But someone did, and officials in Charleston are looking for the owner.

The Charleston Animal Society has the pig in custody and is looking for the owner or hopes to find the porker a new home.

Contributors: Staff reports and the Associated Press.

S.C. State delivers textbooks to Zanzibar

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 23:03 EDT

Officials with South Carolina State University are in Zanzibar delivering textbooks and other learning tools in the African nation.

School officials said Tuesday that more than 648,000 math and chemistry textbooks were presented.

It’s the second time the university donated textbooks for students there.

Authorities arrest man in area thefts

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:08 EDT

Richland County authorities have arrested a man they suspect is connected to several area thefts.

Limas Slater, 55, was wanted on four counts of burglary and four counts of grand larceny. He is being held in the county jail.