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- Kelly Davis

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But some lawmakers, troubled by the hint of improper influence, argue the state’s ethics laws might need to be revised.

The latest in an ongoing Department of Public Safety investigation of the state Highway Patrol centers on two incidents:

• Whether a state trooper acted improperly by signing off 10 DUI tickets over the course of three years before defendants went to trial, a violation of court procedure. Each person ticketed allegedly was being defended by state Sen. Brad Hutto, an Orangeburg Democrat and defense attorney.

The dismissals raise questions about whether Hutto’s position as a state senator influenced the action.

Some parents reacted with outrage over the weekend when the television program “Entertainment Tonight” began showing commercials promoting a scoop: Cyrus, the star of the wholesome Disney Channel blockbuster “Hannah Montana,” had posed topless, albeit with her chest covered, for Vanity Fair photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Screen grabs of the photo quickly popped up online, sparking a blogosphere debate.

“Parents should be extremely concerned. Very young girls look up to Miley Cyrus as a role model,” said Lin Burress, who writes a marriage and parenting blog, in an interview.

At a moment when Miley otherwise would have been relishing an amazing week — a deal for her memoirs (reportedly seven figures), the cover of People magazine and a feature in Vanity Fair — she issued a statement saying how embarrassed she was. This came almost certainly at the behest of worried executives at the Walt Disney Co.

Adaptive little fowl have made a home in a Lexington County government parking garage, leaving employees with a smelly, annoying mess.

Dozens of pigeons have defied attempts to shoo them from nesting in the heart of the county’s administrative office complex in downtown Lexington.

Their little bird brains have managed to convert long, sharp spikes intended to keep pigeons from lighting on underground concrete supports into rigid supports for nests.

“You think it would hurt their little feet,” said Gail Grimm, whose 1999 Jaguar convertible was a favored perch.

But it’s unlikely her new colleagues will grant her wish.

“If there is any delay it will be because of problems with the contract,” member Daniel Rickenmann said of city participation in a garage in the 5 Points South development, “not because one person who hasn’t been part of the process wants to delay it.

“We’re not going to go on vacation on city business for three months,” he said.

Council is scheduled to vote May 7 whether to pay up to $5.8 million to build two levels of parking in the six-story building. The structure is planned for the high-profile intersection of Saluda Avenue and Blossom and Devine streets.

A statement from Chesney’s publicist Monday said the toes on Chesney’s right foot bore the brunt of his injury, “and he is basically a hematoma (a bad bruise) from the ankle down.”

Still, Chesney’s orthopedist in Nashville, Tenn., gave him a green light to perform Thursday in Texas.

“Dr. Elrod got that the last thing I want to do is cancel shows, but also that I don’t want any kind of lasting damage ... ,” Chesney said in the statement.

Chesney added that despite the injury, he didn’t want to disappoint the fans Saturday at Williams-Brice, “who’d been out in the parking lots since the day before. ... (I)f they were having that kind of a party, I was gonna be there.”

Rex said state lawmakers often tell him they want to stand up for public education but are afraid of being targeted by powerful groups in their home counties.

Rex said that within an hour’s drive of Columbia, there are public schools that look like something in the “third world.”

The state’s 700,000 young people in public schools will be the dominant population in the state, so it makes sense to spend money on them, Rex said.

A “tsunami” of bad consequences is rushing toward South Carolina if it does not raise public education standards, he said.

“Of course, I still want to talk with family members before” making a final decision, said prosecutor Chrissy Adams, whose district includes Anderson County.

Nathan Dickson was arrested Saturday night, about 12 hours after his father, stepmother, stepsister and younger brother were gunned down in their Easley home.

The case qualifies for the death penalty because at least two people were killed, Adams said Monday.

A shotgun was used to kill the victims, according to autopsy results released Monday.

The finalists are:

• Gerald D. Dawkins of Saginaw, Mich.

• Percy A. Mack of Dayton, Ohio

• Craig Witherspoon of Edgecombe County, N.C.

Of 215 total examinees who took the February test, 148, or about 69 percent, passed, according to figures released Friday by the S.C. Supreme Court. That compared with an overall 81 percent passage rate among the 552 people who took the July exam.

For USC’s law school, 22 of 34 test takers, or about 65 percent, passed the February exam, compared with a nearly 92 percent passage rate among the 211 examinees who took the July exam.

At the Charleston School of Law, 23 out of 48 examinees, or about 48 percent, passed the February exam, compared with a nearly 70 percent passage rate among 166 test takers in July. The school, which opened in 2004 and is seeking full accreditation from the American Bar Association, gave the test for the first time in July.

“Historically, it’s always been lower than in July,” said Dan Shearouse, the S.C. Supreme Court’s clerk of court, when contacted Monday about the February test results. “That’s pretty much the constant around the U.S.”

Rebecca Ann Allen, 43, of Silverstreet, was charged with embezzlement of public funds over $1,000, according to warrants.

The State Law Enforcement Division began investigating Allen at the request of the Newberry County Probate Court.

A warrant says Allen made duplicate receipts and used money meant for the office for her own personal use.

— Ishmael Tate

A state judge was urged Monday to stop a large hog farm in Dillon County that nearby residents say will foul the air and threaten the Little Pee Dee River with millions of gallons of pig waste.

Attorney Bob Guild told Administrative Judge Paige Gossett that the Little Pee Dee watershed has been tainted by hog farms in North Carolina upstream. Permitting a farm near the river in South Carolina would further imperil water quality, Guild said.

But the Department of Health and Environmental Control must balance economic needs with environmental impacts, attorney Stephen Hightower said.

“The S.C. Legislature would not want the department to say, ‘Well, you know, South Carolina can’t have a business that it sorely needs because another state is doing something,’” Hightower said.

Jeffery Trey Appleton, 25, and Roland Lee Blalock III, 20, each are charged with third-degree burglary, criminal conspiracy, illegally burning an outdoor fire within 75 feet of a structure and illegally burning hazardous materials outdoors, Sheriff James R. Metts said.

Metts said Appleton and Blalock broke into W.M. Roebuck Inc., a traffic-light installation business on Fish Hatchery Road, and made off with about $200 worth of copper wire.

Deputies responded to Appleton’s house later Thursday after receiving a call about illegal outdoor burning, Metts said. The men were burning insulation off copper wire, he said.

Appleton was in jail Monday on $123,262 bail, and Blalock was released Saturday after posting $42,175 bail, Metts said.

A man convicted of murdering three social workers in Aiken County can drop his appeals and be executed, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday.

David Mark Hill had argued that he deserves to die for the killings about 12 years ago.

The high court said Hill understands what he did and what it means to stop his appeals. Hill’s lawyers disagreed with their client, but say they don’t have a basis on which to challenge his competency.

Hill walked into a North Augusta Department of Social Services office in 1996 after the agency took custody of his children. He shot to death his family’s caseworker and two other employees.

Alive at 25 is an intervention program for drivers between 15 and 24, statistically the group most likely to be involved in fatal wrecks.

Drivers and/or their parents learn safe practices to help avoid traffic violations and wrecks.

The class is 4½ hours long, and registration is $35. The next class is from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the West Columbia Police Department, 200 N. 12th St.

Contact Patrolman 1st Class John Spears at (803) 794-0721, ext. 856, or the S.C. National Safety Council at (800) 733-6185 to receive a registration form.

A Coastal Carolina University student who accidentally shot his roommate in the shoulder during an off-campus party is in jail on an assault charge, authorities say.

Joseph Frasco, 20, is charged with assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. His bail was set Monday at $5,000, The (Myrtle Beach) Sun News reports.

Authorities say he shot Aaron Harper, 20, who attends a local technical college.

Authorities say the two were drinking Saturday at a home near the Coastal Carolina campus when Frasco picked up a shotgun he thought was unloaded, pointed it at his roommate and pulled the trigger.

The seminar is $45 in advance, $50 at the door. The fee for nonprofits is $40. Group rates are available. Cash, checks, Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

From staff reports

Hill, a 57-year-old farmer and businessman, says the tainted refuse could pollute groundwater he uses for farming and drinking.

Earlier this month, Hill appealed in state administrative court to stop a landfill that will pile waste an estimated 170 feet above the flat plain of Lower Richland. He is challenging a state permit allowing SCE&G to dump tons of tainted waste each year at its coal-fired power plant along the Wateree River.

“They acted too fast,’’ Hill said of SCE&G and the state’s environmental protection agency. “They thought they could put this thing down our throats.’’

Hill’s case is noteworthy because it questions how the company will get rid of waste from a new air pollution control process at the aging Wateree power plant. Pollutants that once poured into the air will be trapped through a scrubbing process, the company says. A type of limestone produced through the scrubbing must be disposed of in the landfill, company officials say.

“The main issues that I’m concerned with are homeland security, protection and keeping our nation safe ... I feel like he’s (McCain) going to do the best job for our country.”

Listen to Duncan and other S.C. voters describe their feelings on the issues and candidates at thestate.com/choosing and look for a new voice every Tuesday.

PHOTOGRAPH BY C. ALUKA BERRY/CABERRY@THESTATE.COM

“I am taking it into account, she said. “We’ll just cancel and try and find someplace else.”

Hoteliers in North Myrtle Beach, where the beach renourishment project will be taking place starting in July — amid the peak tourist season — are furious at planners on local and federal levels of the government, worried the sounds and sights of big trucks and barges will drive people like Willis from the beach and their reservations.

But the hotels in Myrtle Beach have been spared. Because of a schedule shuffle, the contractor will start on the city’s beaches in late August or early September instead of spring through midsummer as initially planned.

The renourishment project, which pumps sand from offshore onto the beach, has been done roughly every decade to keep the beach big enough for tourists and the coast strong enough for the high-rise buildings that line it. The cost of the $30 million project is being split among state, federal and local governments.

The Medical University of South Carolina seeks poetry submissions to accompany art work at a new center for the diagnosis and treatment of heart, vascular and digestive diseases.

Poetry Categories

“South Carolina — A Sense of Place”: Poems should consider the ways in which the natural world offers poets metaphors about the beauty and mystery of the cycles of life, as well as poems about the inherent healing quality of landscape. These poems should embody a sense of comfort, hope and the humanistic spirit.

“Ekphrastic Poems,” poetry about art, poems that respond directly to the space and/or art on display at MUSC: Visit artwork.musc.edu/ to view the art online.

Those same lawyers — one set representing the state; the other representing poor, rural school districts — are putting the finishing touches on briefs for the state Supreme Court so it can do homework on key points in the long-running school funding lawsuit.

Briefs are due Thursday, and oral arguments before the high court will be June 25 in a case that dates to 1993 — well before Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests were used to measure learning, national“No Child Left Behind” academic standards were enacted and the state sales tax was raised to shift the burden of funding schools to consumers.

The case has as much to do with image and perception as it does money.

Thirty-six school systems sued the Legislature 15 years ago, claiming lawmakers fail to provide enough state aid to help districts serving poor, rural communities. The districts maintain it costs more to educate their students, many of whom struggle academically.

Many have taken on second, or even third jobs, to keep up with the ever-rising cost of living, particularly in Bluffton and on Hilton Head Island, where housing costs are high.

What the teachers say

• Annette Lee is Beaufort County’s Teacher of the Year and is a special needs teacher at Bluffton High School.

She has been a teacher for eight years and has a master’s degree. But when the 34-year-old mom is not teaching, she is helping at her husband’s pizza restaurant, waiting tables at another restaurant or serving as a kayak guide. Over summer vacations, she works four days a week.

Johnston, principal at Gold Hill Middle School in York County, is one of approximately 15,000 employees in the state retirement system who have retired and come back to work. Those working retirees still are waiting for a court to decide whether they must keep paying 6.5 percent of their salary into the retirement system.

As in a related case involving the Teacher and Employee Retention Incentive program, or TERI, Johnston believes the Legislature broke a contract when they forced already-retired workers to begin paying into the system.

The wait is costing Johnston hundreds of dollars monthly — money he does not expect to recoup.

“We honor and respect the retirement system because we’re vested in it,” Johnston said, “but I do feel betrayed.”

Beginning today, candidates are scheduled to meet with administrators, faculty and staff, and the search committee and to tour the campus.

The candidates include two university academic officers, the interim chief of a nonprofit economic development foundation, a U.S. Department of Agriculture administrator and a university chief planning officer.

Trustees are looking for a president who can raise money and improve academic standards at the 4,400-student school.

In December, trustees voted to remove then-president Andrew Hugine after they said he failed to make improvements in those areas.

Before Morgan left his job with Virginia’s Goochland County schools, he was using blogging and podcasting to reach educators, parents and students in the traditionally rural district.

When he landed in Kershaw County a year ago, he did the same.

“I’ve just found it powerful,” he said. “We live in a different world now, so we have to use multiple means to communicate with people.”

Several Midlands schools and districts are using podcasts and blogs not only to enrich classroom activities for students but to communicate on everything from science experiments to upcoming events.

Thursday marks the crossover deadline. Legislation that has not passed either the House or the Senate by this date is unlikely to get approval before the session ends June 5.

That sets lawmakers up for a hectic week, fighting for passage of pet bills and searching for ways to delay or kill legislation they dislike.

House lawmakers are likely to spend time debating whether beginning drivers should be prohibited from using cell phones while behind the wheel and whether harassed students can transfer to another high school and maintain their eligibility to play sports.

Both the House and Senate will discuss green legislation, including the creation of a nonprofit to help low-income households conserve energy and exempting energy-efficient appliances from sales tax.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, May 1, 2008, at The Brice W. Herndon and Sons Funeral Home, Walterboro Chapel. Interment will follow in Zion Baptist Church Cemetery.

Mr. Warren was born May 23, 1929, in Walterboro and was the son of the late Edgar Daniel Warren and Lola Amelia Herrin Warren. He served his country in the United States Navy during the Korean Conflict aboard the Battleship, The Iowa and also the Destroyer, The North Hampton. He retired from the Charleston Air Force Base as a firefighter in 1974. Mr. Warren was a member of Zion Baptist Church. His most enjoyable times were spent bass fishing in the Ashepoo and Combahee Rivers and Lake Murray. He was a special brother, uncle and friend.

Surviving are: his brothers, Eddie Warren of Walterboro and Thomas Warren of Columbia; sisters, Virginia Verhaeghe of Beaufort and Doris Mayo of Beaufort; nieces, Pauline Lanier of Port Royal and Kelley Whitaker of Beaufort; and nephews, Paul Verhaeghe of Charlotte, NC, Lincoln Mayo of Atlanta, GA, Kerry Mayo of Beaufort and Tommy Warren of CA.

Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to: South Carolina Wildlife Federation, 2711 Middleburg Drive, Suite 101, Columbia, South Carolina 29204 or www.scwf.org.

«Obituary posted: April 29, 2008»

Mr. Turner, son of the late Mannie Pinkney Turner and Nell Sox Turner, passed away Sunday, April 27, 2008. Born in New Brookland, SC, he was a lifelong member of Brookland United Methodist Church. He retired from Southern Bell after 47 years of service.

Surviving are his wife of 65 years, Maxine Turner of Cayce; daughter and son-in-law, Sharlene and Don Turner of Irmo; son and daughter-in-law, Robert D. Jr. and Rebecca Turner of Annapolis, MD; two grandchildren, B.J. Turner (Stacy) and Dane Turner. Mr. Turner was preceded in death by brothers, Fritz and Dan Turner, sister, Doris Turner, and granddaughter, Kristin Turner.

Mr. Turner was a devoted husband, loving father and grandfather, and faithful friend who will be missed by all.

www.thompsonsfuneral.com

«Obituary posted: April 29, 2008»

«Obituary posted: April 29, 2008»

www.washingtonsfuneralhome.com

«Obituary posted: April 29, 2008»

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 30, 2008, at Culler-McAlhany Funeral Home Chapel in North with Rev. H. Larry Jones officiating. Burial will be in Good Shepherd Memorial Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Keith Harsey, Lewis McCarty, David Goodwin, Lanell Canty, Wilson Shealy and Edward Shealy. Honorary pallbearers will be Bobby Jowers and Dana Mattox.

Mrs. Shealy was born in Lexington, a daughter of the late David Ernest and Bessie Maude Taylor Long. She was married to the late Wilson O. Shealy Sr. She was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. She was a founding member of the Lexington County Women’s Republican Party. She helped with the mentally handicapped with Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

Survivors include three sons: Wilson O. Shealy Jr. of Florence and Phillip Lee Shealy and Barry Dwayne Shealy, both of Swansea; a sister, Linda Harsey of West Columbia; 12 grandchildren; 5 great-grandchildren.

«Obituary posted: April 29, 2008»

Mrs. Ward, widow of Jack Ward, passed away on Friday, April 25, 2008. Born in Sandy Run, she was the daughter of the late Neal Asman and Dollie Gaddy Asman. She was a lifetime area resident and a member of Mt. Tabor Lutheran Church and Scatter Cheer Sunday School Class. Mrs. Ward graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She was also a registered nurse and she practiced nursing in the United States Army during WWII, at Baptist Hospital, Columbia Hospital and the hospital at Fort Jackson. Mrs. Ward was also in the “Ms. Ellie’s Girls” Bowling league at Parkland Plaza.

Surviving are her daughters and son-in-law, Helen W. and Bryan Black of Leesville, Martha Ward of Cayce; sons and daughters-in-law, Burton and Sabra Ward of Columbia, Bobby and Ilse Ward of Augusta, GA, Jack and Judy Ward of Bradenton, FL; eleven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren and her sister, Neeley “Kitty” Proctor of Sullivan’s Island. Mrs. Ward was preceded in death by a daughter, Nora Ward, son, William Ward, three sisters, Elizabeth, Winnifred, Dorothy “Dot,” and three brothers, David, Percy, and Floyd.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Tab Thompson and his staff at Providence Hospital and Dr. Mark Keisler and his staff for their kindness and caring support of our mother and family.

www.thompsonsfuneral.com

Mrs. Rollins was born in Lee County a daughter of the late Clarence and Voncile Folsom Locklair. She was known to her friends as “Jerry” and to her family as “Ma.” She was loved and respected throughout the St. Matthew and Turkey Creek Communities for her welcoming smile and her delicious home cooking. She worked for many years in the office at Kendall in Bethune and was remembered fondly for her time working in the Charleston Navy Shipyard during WW II.

Surviving are her sons and daughters-in-law: Louis “Bud” and Kathy Rollins, George and Linda Rollins, Bishopville, daughters and sons-in-laws: Linda and Joe Jordan, Bishopville, Karen and Buddy McPherson, Bethune; brothers: Grover Locklair, Bishopville, Joe Locklair, Darlington; grandchildren: Laura (LaFrance) Bennett, Trez (Deanna) Rollins, Dana (Kevin) Dittman, Brad (Gloria) Rollins, Shannon and Brent McPherson, Rebecca Rollins, Angie Jordan; 8 great-grandchildren; special friend: Diane Garrison, Bishopville. She was preceded in death by sisters: Lorraine McKinnon and Bessie McCoy, brother: Floyd Locklair, grandsons: Robert Jordan, Phillip Hatfield and great-grandson: Taylor Bennett.

Memorials may be made to the St. Matthew United Methodist Church, 2144 Stokes Bridge Road West, Bishopville, SC 29010 or Harmony Baptist Church, 1940 Bethune Road, Bethune, SC 29009.

«Obituary posted: April 29, 2008»

Mr. Nicholson was born in Winston-Salem, February 13, 1946, son of Frank Cole and Ione Arrington Perry Nicholson. He served in the U.S. Army and was a member of Clemmons Moravian Church for 22 years, serving on the Board of Trustees.

Mr. Nicholson was a senior internal auditor for Krispy Kreme, a Piedmont Aviation Credit Union Committee Member, a City of Clemmons Zoning Board Member, and had formerly worked for Piedmont Airlines/U.S. Airways.

Surviving are his wife, Marianne Mackey Nicholson, four daughters: Heather Nicholson Vlachos and her husband Ilias Vlachos, Meghan Ione Nicholson, Jill Nicholson Wesley and her husband Michael Wesley, Anne Cole Nicholson, three granddaughters: Mary, Marianna and Lenia Vlachos, three sisters: Jan Nicholson Assimos and her husband Dean Assimos, Mary Nicholson Walton and her husband Dave Walton, Lauren Nicholson Scott and her husband Kevin Scott and one brother, Tom Nicholson and his wife Kristi Nicholson, stepmother, Audry Nicholson and many beloved nieces and nephews, cousins and friends.

Funeral services will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at Clemmons Moravian Church by Rev. John Rainey and Rev. Neil Routh. Burial will follow in the church graveyard with military honors by the VFW Memorial Honor Guard. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8:00 p.m. Tuesday at Salem Funeral Home.

Major Putnam was born in Pickens a daughter of the late William E. Porter and Mattie Dacus Porter. She was a graduate of Emory University School of Nursing. She was a retired Major in the United States Army Nurse Corps serving in World War II and Korea. Major Putnam was predeceased by a brother, Marion S. Porter and sisters, Sadie P. Tolbert, Louise P. Whatley and Patricia P. Hutto and was the widow of Col. William D. Putnam.

Survivors: sister, Edna P. Todd, Aiken and Greenwood; a number of nieces and nephews, John Porter, Gaithersburg, MD, David Porter, Richmond, VA, Bill Tolbert, Naples, FL, Ann T. Logan, Greenwood, Jane T. Johnson, San Mateo, CA, Porter Whatley, Greenwood, Jay Hutto, Lexington, Mark Hutto, Orangeburg, Todd Hutto, Orangeburg.

Friends may call at the residence of Dr. and Mrs. Joe Logan, 214 Cow Head Creek Road, Greenwood or Harley Funeral Home, Greenwood.

Memorials may be made to Main Street United Methodist Church, 211 N. Main Street, Greenwood, SC 29646.

Mr. Miller was predeceased by his wife, Ruth Waggoner Miller, a sister, and three brothers. He is survived by his sons, John Jr. and Fred, their wives, a brother, two sisters-in-law, six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to express their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Eddie Williams, Dr. Martin Mirra, and the staff of Providence Hospital in Columbia, SC.

A memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Lexington, NC, Wednesday, April 30, 2008, at 2:00 p.m. The family suggests, in lieu of flowers, memorials to Cotton Grove United Methodist Church, 175 Jersey Church Road, Lexington, NC 27292, or to the charity of one’s choice.

Caughman-Harman Funeral Home at Southland is in charge of the arrangements.

The family will receive friends at Bland Funeral Home from 1-2:30 p.m. prior to the service. Memorials may be made to Johnston First Baptist Church, 700 Church Street, Johnston, SC 29832.

Mrs. Davis, a native of Waynesboro, Ga., died Monday, April 28, 2008. She was a daughter of the late Harvey L. and Mae Brown Sapp. Mrs. Davis was a retired restaurant employee, was a member of Johnston First Baptist Church, the Jessie Mobley Circle and the Gleaners Sunday School Class.

Survivors include sons: Jerry Jester (Mila), James C. (Butch) Jester, and L. Franklin Davis III, daughters: Joyce Davis Poole (Buzz, deceased) and Diane Estelle; faithful daughter-in-law, Martha Jester and faithful friend, Shirley Barfield Winn; nine (9) grandchildren, a number of great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, L.F. “Boots” Davis Jr.

«Obituary posted: April 29, 2008»

Mr. Knierim was a proud veteran of the Army Air Corps’ 58th Bomb Wing serving in India, China and the South Pacific. A graduate of West Virginia University, he was a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity and Alpha Kappa Phi business honorary. He retired from Xerox Corporation, was a partner in Par Five Corporation, and a longtime member of Wildwood Country Club.

Surviving are his wife, Ray of Columbia, SC; son, Jeffery and wife Linda of Wheeling, WV; son, Christian and wife Diane of Columbia, SC; daughter, Sudie and husband Pete of Dayton, OH; daughter, Marta of Booth, WV; daughter, Amy and husband Brian of Columbia, SC; and brother, Richard and wife Jean of Phoenix, AZ. Known as “Pappy,” he will be greatly missed by his grandchildren, Lori, Eric, Lisa, Andrew, Anissa, Eric, Mark, Jessica, Tanner and Baylee, and great-grandchildren, Malachi, Noah, Erika and Grant.

A family memorial service will be held in Wheeling, WV. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Heart Association: 1-800-242-8721.

«Obituary posted: April 29, 2008»

Mr. Burnett passed away on Friday, April 25, 2008. Born in West Columbia, he was the son of the late George Robert Burnett Jr. and Annie Christine Cody Burnett. He was a lifetime area resident and a plumbing contractor.

Surviving are his wife, Patricia Youker Burnett; daughter, Stephanie Burnett; son, George Robert Burnett IV; sisters, Priscilla Brazell, Sandra Cato, Wendy Burnett; brothers, Bobby Burnett, William “Patrick” Burnett, Mike Burnett. Also surviving are his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Nelda and Leonard “Sonny” Youker and cousin, James Callahan.

www.thompsonsfuneral.com

«Obituary posted: April 29, 2008»

Funeral services will be held at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 30 with a graveside service in First Baptist Church of Gilbert Cemetery, conducted by Pastor Richard Powell. Visitation will be 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 29 at The Hamilton Mortuary. The family will be at the home.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The S.C. Autism Society, 806 12th St., West Columbia, SC 29169. The Hamilton Mortuary of Ridge Spring in charge of arrangements.

«Obituary posted: April 29, 2008»

Eliza was educated in the public school system in Marion County, South Carolina, and graduated from the Marion County Training School. She completed the Bachelor of Science Degree in Home Economics and the Master of Education Degree with a minor in Home Economics at South Carolina State College in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

Eliza was a member of the National Education Association, the South Carolina Education Association and the Marion County Education Association.

Eliza’s spiritual life was even more profound than her professional life. She joined Saint John African Methodist Episcopal Church at an early age serving as a Junior Trustee, Class Leader, member and Treasurer of the Senior Choir, member of Stewardess Board Number Four, Chairperson for the High School Graduation Committee and Program for the church and a member of the Deaconess Board.

Eliza’s community affiliations were the following: Member of Beta Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Pi Chi Sorority, serving as Treasurer, and Lily of the Valley Chapter #264, Order of the Eastern Star, serving as Secretary.

Born in Columbia, SC, he was the son of the late Wesley and Alberta Brown Washington.

He was a member of Young’s Chapel A.M.E. Church in Irmo, SC. He was a former employee of Lexington County School District Five.

His wife, Geneva Lorick Washington, preceded him in death.

Surviving are one son, Robert E. Washington (Betty), Irmo, SC; one daughter, Helen Clark (John), Columbia, SC; two grandsons, one granddaughter, one adopted granddaughter, two great-grandchildren; brother, Henry Mack, Columbia, SC; sister, Margaret Smith, Brooklyn, NY; one sister-in-law, Ella Washington, Brooklyn, NY; and nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Mrs. Payne, wife of the late Dr. Paul Eugene Payne Sr., died Saturday, April 26, 2008. She had been a resident of the Presbyterian Home of South Carolina in Lexington for several years. She was a daughter of the late James Wylie and Emma Cornelia Bell Mahaffey. She was Supervisor of School Health Services for Richland School District One until her retirement. A native of Lancaster, she attended the Lancaster Schools, received her R.N. diploma from South Carolina Baptist Hospital in 1929. She did additional work at George Peabody College for Teachers, the University of South Carolina and Newberry College. She was a faithful and active member of Washington Street United Methodist Church since 1941, especially with the UMW and acolyte training and was a strong supporter of the WCUM Church Foundaton. In addition she was active in many professional and civic organizations.

Surviving are daughter-in-law, Sandra Crouch Payne; grandchildren, Paul Eugene Payne III and his wife, Amanda, Delia Anne Payne, Dovie Hyatt Hornesby, Charles Narey Jeter; great-grandson, Lee Forrest Payne; brother, Dr. John E. Mahaffey and his wife, Faustina, of Charleston; and sister, Elizabeth Mahaffey Phillips and her husband, David, of Florence.

She was predeceased by her son, Dr. Paul Eugene Payne Jr.; daughter and son-in-law, Dovie Payne Hornesby and Buddy; sister and brother-in-law, Grace Mahaffey Monts and Olin Thomas; and brothers, Ralph, Max, Sidney and Paul Mahaffey; and granddaughters, Kathleen Jeter Cowart and Hope Hornesby Shealy.

Memorials may be made to the Washington Street United Methodist Church Foundation, 1401 Washington St., Columbia, SC 29201, or Baptist Hospital Nurses’ Alumnae Scholarship Fund, c/o Palmetto Health Baptist Medical Center, Taylor at Marion Streets, Columbia, SC 29201.

This sort of talk knows no party or philosophy. I’ve heard it from voucher-loving Republicans, and Democrats who are so establishment-oriented that they oppose charter schools, and from the vast majority in between. I’ve heard it from the tax-cutters and the tax-raisers. And each time I hear it, I am reminded of how misunderstood our “education lottery” remains.

This is a perception that is so universally embraced as to have become the conventional “wisdom” — that the lottery is pulling in gobs of money, enough to be transformational if only those legislators would stop wasting it. If only they’d use it to fix our schools like they promised.

And why wouldn’t that be what people think? That’s what lottery supporters told them would happen if they’d sanction a state-run numbers racket. Our schools would be swimming in money. Our education problems would be solved. The group promoting the lottery named itself “The South Carolina Lottery for Better Schools Coalition” — and emblazoned that name on a drawing of the back of a yellow school bus. The bumper stickers even said: “Lottery=education.”

It’s been eight years — 10 if you go back to Jim Hodges’ 1998 campaign for governor that got the thing started — but the myth remains, because the only people who try to set the record straight are journalists, and we don’t do it very often. Not often enough to overcome the lies of the three-year lottery campaign.

Not wearing a helmet does not cause accidents. We at ABATE (A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments) are not anti-helmet bikers. Many of our members choose to wear helmets. We also work side-by-side with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, Alive at 25 (we sponsor its Web site) and the motorcycle task force to increase awareness of motorcyclists, as well as encourage participation in courses offered both at Midlands Tech and several motorcycle dealers. We believe that even one life lost in an accident is too many.

May has been proclaimed by Gov. Mark Sanford as motorcycle awareness month. I would like to invite all of the readers of The State to the Awareness Rally on May 4 at the State House beginning at 1 p.m. to find out more about the motorcyclists that they share the road with.

Each citizen of our state must work closely with our elected officials to make sure we do not become like other countries that do not allow their citizens to make choices and take responsibility for their actions.

If not having a right to chose whether or not to wear a helmet does not affect you personally, letting the government take away that right will eventually lead to one that you do hold dear.

Since then, however, soaring oil prices and food riots across the globe have raised fears that people at home and abroad are becoming convinced that the world is entering an era of rising inflation, and they’re adjusting their expectations and behavior as a result.

In light of that, the Fed now may not cut rates this week. If its rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee does cut its benchmark federal funds rate — the rate that banks charge one another for overnight lending — it’s likely to be only a quarter-point, to 2 percent, not the aggressive cut that most analysts were projecting weeks ago.

Even if the Fed cuts the rate, it’s likely to signal that it intends to pause a while before cutting rates again because inflation remains stubbornly high — even though the U.S. economy appears to be stalled.

Inflation, the rise of prices across the economy, remains a threat at home and abroad. The biggest part rises from the seemingly unstoppable climb in oil prices. But the prices of everything from grains and dairy products to base metals and raw materials also are surging. That drives up the price of nearly everything we eat, heat, cool, drive or manufacture.