Andanh.com

In the process, he hopes he has rehabilitated himself, too.

Reynolds, 26, served nearly a year in Wateree River Correctional Institution in Rembert and four months in a Lexington County jail for a crime that he says stemmed from a longtime drug addiction.

On Wednesday, under a brilliant blue sky, he was released from prison, thinking about what was waiting for him: two children he hadn’t seen since 2007 and a wife willing to take him back.

And the dream of a better life for himself — something he owes, in large part, to a thoroughbred named Little Me Too.

Then Macklen’s parents hugged him and kissed his cheek.

“I liked seeing the light in his eyes when he got out there and achieved that,’’ said his mom, Kay Macklen of Myrtle Beach. “Davey is our miracle.’’

As with other athletes at the Special Olympics, young Macklen’s achievement was more than how he finished a foot race.

It was about competition.

“I was stupid,” Gales says, sitting in the living room of her one-bedroom apartment. “I did it on my own, but it was a bad mistake. It just turned into a mess.”

Gales’ debts were eliminated after her pastor intervened and a lawyer sued the lenders.

But critics of payday lenders say that outcome is rare for the thousands of South Carolinians who take out payday loans each year. Those critics want tougher state restrictions on the sky-high- interest-rate lenders — or an outright ban.

Payday lenders say most of their borrowers are responsible and don’t get caught in a spiral of debt.

Now, facing competition from bigger companies and saddled with a business plan focused on a single product, the Lowcountry company is struggling to save itself.

“Force Protection bet early and won,” said Dakota Wood, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that analyzes defense spending. “It was a case of a little guy being there first, but they didn’t have the capacity to fill the orders.

“It’s like you built a better mousetrap and the world now wants a million of them. You just can’t respond to that.”

As Force Protection searches for a way out of its year of bad news, its executives are re-evaluating its entire business, including its future in South Carolina.

The Afghan police officers did not have uniforms. Few had weapons. Most had a “very disheveled look,” said Hill, a member of the S.C. National Guard’s 218th Brigade Combat Team.

“They were spacey — very spacey — like they were on drugs. You couldn’t get their attention.

“And they were getting killed a lot.”

A year later, much has changed.

The award will allow them to pursue yearlong projects related to the environment after graduation.

Elizabeth Cooke of Richland Center, Wis., and Angel Cruz of Burnsville, N.C., have received fellowships worth $35,000 each. The one-year fellowships will begin in mid-June.

Cooke and Cruz are the fourth Furman students to be named Compton Fellows.

Cooke will spend her year combating deforestation in Haiti through the introduction of alternative fuel sources to eliminate the need for charcoal as a fuel.

With the hub for the Carolina Harley-Davidson Dealers Association Myrtle Beach Rally located this year at the Hard Rock Park on U.S. 501, instead of at Myrtle Beach Convention Center, authorities are prepared to adjust to any necessary traffic enforcement changes.

They have changed their patrol coverage to include the amusement park area. Officers traditionally increase staffing near congested vendor sites.

“The Hard Rock is a great unknown,” said Lisa Bourcier, spokeswoman for Horry County. “We have no idea how many people will be there. The whole area is a traffic issue.”

The annual 10-day Harley-Davidson spring motorcycle event, which attracts thousands, starts Thursday and will end May 18. It’s the first of two motorcycle events this month, and will be followed by the Atlantic Beach Bikefest, May 23-26.

Economy

Film incentives. A bill that would restore tax incentives to lure movies and television series back to the state. Still alive

Wireless cloud. A panel will study whether part of ETV’s broadcast licenses should be leased to private companies to pay for a seamless, wireless Internet cloud over South Carolina. Still alive

Education

“We were gigantic suckers when they came to us,” said Hawkins, R-Spartanburg. “They knew what they were doing, and we didn’t. And it’s time now to pay the bill.”

Critics said the Legislature created an easy, addictive form of debt. In the first six years after that law’s 1999 passage, payday lenders reaped more than $776 million in fees and interest charges from South Carolinians.

Now payday lenders are fighting the Senate bill before an S.C. House subcommittee.

The Senate’s proposal would limit the amount of loans borrowers could hold from payday lenders. The legislation also would require borrowers to wait, or “cool off,” for seven days between payday loans. A hearing on the bill is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday.

Gov. Mike Easley’s remote management style is campaign fodder for Republican candidates who paint him as disengaged.

The two Democrats who want the job, while not mentioning Easley, join Republicans in promising accessibility and hands-on leadership.

Management experience has been an issue in a campaign in which the professional backgrounds of the major candidates vary widely. Some have legislative experience, while others have done most of their work in the private sector.

All candidates, invariably, tout their background as a reason to vote for them.

The Buzz pays his taxes, so — of course — he’s psyched about getting his tax rebate check. But one thing the Buzz won’t do is take financial advice from Linda Ketner, running for Congress in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District.

Ketner is calling on supporters to take their rebate checks and ... donate them to her campaign.

President Bush wants The Buzz to spend the money and help the economy. But Ketner, a Charleston Democrat, argues in her e-mail that spending the money is a short-term solution. Sending her to Congress is a commitment to needed, long-term change.

High-minded stuff. But the Buzz, like most Americans, would rather do the mall.

Police do not believe the incidents were connected, but are still investigating. In one incident, police reported that the ex-boyfriend of a woman took $230 from her about 6:30 p.m. Friday on Eugene Street. Another strong-arm robbery occurred in the parking lot of Broad River Terrace about 10:45 p.m.

At about the same time, a suspect used a knife to steal an undisclosed amount of money from a victim on Cherry Street, police reported Saturday.

Contributing: Sammy Fretwell

“The good news is that there is not a lot to fight over.”

— House Speaker Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, referring to looming House debate of the state budget, which will have to be cut by at least $90 million

SCHMOOZING

Where and when lawmakers can eat and drink for free Tuesday — and who’s buying.

“Prime numbers are my thing,” said Tony Ransom, one of the many participants in auditions for the “Jeopardy!” game show. “I love a prime number.”

About 110 people passed a 10-question written pretest Friday, earning a chance to return Saturday for a live audition for the popular TV game show. The 400 contestants on “Jeopardy!” every year are drawn from more than a dozen similar stops around the country and other methods, and show official Grant Loud said there was no way to estimate how many would be picked this weekend.

“You will see somebody from Myrtle Beach in the next season,” Loud said. “I know that.”

Among the first to pass Friday, Ransom said he knew before his test was even graded that he aced it. The 35-year-old engineer from Nakina, N.C., said he would review “Bartlett's Familiar Quotations” or the periodic table of elements at home Friday night in preparation for the Saturday audition — a pleasurable task for the avid reader. He has read Alexandre Dumas' “The Count of Monte Cristo” either 56 or 57 times — he said he couldn't remember, but has it written down somewhere — and loves the plays of William Shakespeare.

William Coleman Peay Jr., 26, of Shelby, N.C., faces charges of criminal domestic violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, discharging a firearm while intoxicated and trespassing.

Cherokee County sheriff’s Chief Deputy Joel Hill said Peay had been involved in a domestic dispute and fired a gun as he walked away from an apartment complex Friday morning. The schools that were locked down are about two miles in opposite directions from the complex.

“The schools’ doors were locked as a security measure,” Hill said. “The dogs were brought to the scene and officers continued to search for the suspect and found him about 1:30 p.m. in a wooded area near the apartments.”

Contributing: The Associated Press

The 11 a.m. convocation will be held in Leonard Auditorium in Main Building; it is free and open to the public.

Vanessa Lauber of Greenville, the 23rd presidential international scholar who traveled throughout the 2007-08 academic year, will be on hand for the naming of the new scholar.

The scholar is chosen each year by Wofford’s president as “the singular student best fitted to benefit humankind.” An anonymous donor funds the scholarship. The scholar spends his or her senior year visiting developing countries and conducting research on an independent study project, returning for a fifth year to complete regular course work and share what he or she learned.

A National Transportation Safety Board report released last week concluded that the plane stalled because pilot Ray Armistead didn’t maintain airspeed during a turn away from the Charleston Executive Airport on Johns Island.

The 58-year-old orthopedic surgeon from New Bern was killed along with his wife and two daughters. The NTSB report says a combination of an antihistamine and high levels of a painkiller found in Armistead’s toxicology report may have impaired his flying.

The plane overshot the runway, stalled and plunged into the Stono River, where it came to rest 15 feet below the surface.

Koon — who was taken captive by Chinese forces after the Battle of the Ch’ongch’on River, a fierce conflict between Chinese and American forces — was positively identified Feb. 26 through DNA, military records show.

He will be buried May 17 at the cemetery at Old Lexington Baptist Church, where a granite memorial marker sits from a service the family had for him in 1951.

It will give the family closure, said his 88-year-old brother, Carl Koon, who says the burial will honor his brother’s memory.

“It’s also a message that freedom isn’t cheap, and it isn’t free, and I think it’s also a message of heroism that America needs,” Carl Koon said. “I think the younger generation takes it too lightly what price has been paid for freedom.”

The annual fish fry hosted by U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn was a Friday-night forum for backslapping and reminiscing.

The Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, where U.S. Sen. Amy Klubocher spoke, was more formal. Klubocher, a superdelegate from Minnesota who is supporting U.S. Sen. Barack Obama for president, said she’s optimistic the party will unite around the Democratic nominee.

Today, Democrats hold their state convention in Columbia, where the most important business will be electing 54 delegates to the national convention.

Here are three story lines to track with S.C. Democrats this weekend and beyond.

Richland County Council members are considering the tax increase that would dole out $394 million over eight years to improve the county’s transportation — which includes sidewalks.

Of that $394 million, $70 million would go toward sidewalks, bike paths and greenways. That’s more than enough to build most — if not all — of the city’s sidewalks.

“This will transform our city,” Columbia Mayor Bob Coble said. “It will be the most significant public works project in the city and county that we’ve ever seen.”

The proposed sales tax increase is just an idea for now.

Environmentalists and civic leaders have seized on the disaster as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to re-engineer the town.

“I would never say the tornado happening was a good thing. I would never wish that on anybody,” said Kim Alderfer, assistant city manager. “But given the opportunity, we have to do it right — to make it better.”

On May 4, 2007, a ferocious F-5 twister blasted Greensburg, killing 11 people in the town of 1,400 and flattening its turn-of-the-last-century brick buildings, Victorians and prairie-style houses. Townspeople found themselves disoriented after most of Greensburg’s manmade and natural landmarks were wiped out.

But now the water tower is back, the town’s one traffic light has been replaced, and neighborhoods are showing signs of life.

Palin, known for a resolve that quickly launched her from suburban hockey mom to a player on the national political stage, said “No, go ahead and tell me over the phone.”

The physician replied “Down syndrome,” stunning the Republican governor who has four other children and had just completed her first year in office.

She arrived at the Capitol on an ethics reform platform after defeating the incumbent Republican in the primary and a former two-term Democratic governor in the general election. She has a growing reputation as a maverick for bucking her party’s establishment and Alaska’s powerful oil industry.

Now she said she is trying to balance caring for her special needs child and running the nation’s largest state.

It was an ordinary spring day at Hampshire College, except that the rodent issuing the warning was powered by amps, not acorns.

Dubbed “Rocky” after the cartoon character, the robo-squirrel is working its way into Hampshire’s live-squirrel clique, controlled by researchers several yards away with a laptop computer and binoculars.

Sarah Partan, an assistant professor in animal behavior at Hampshire, hopes that by capturing a close-up view of squirrels in nature, Rocky will help her team decode squirrels’ communication techniques, social cues and survival instincts.

Rocky is among many robotic critters worldwide helping researchers observe animals in their natural environments rather than in labs. The research could let scientists better understand how animals work in groups, court, intimidate rivals and warn allies of danger.

• Job losses slowed.

• The dollar gained a bit of muscle for a change.

• There were indications food prices might be easing.

• The unemployment rate dipped, though that might not last.

But, he says, God’s been good, and his parishioners, faithful.

He’s praying the Almighty will remember the sacrifices of his mostly African-American flock and look kindly if the national economic downturn gets worse.

“The old saying goes, ‘When the United States catches a cold, the black community catches pneumonia,’” said Wiley, whose Life Center Cathedral meets in a large tent in the shadow of his fenced-off, wind-damaged sanctuary. “But traditionally, the church has found a way, through God, ... through difficult times.”

Economists say the billions of dollars pouring into the hurricane recovery could ease the slowdown here. With some neighborhoods left in ruins by the Aug. 29, 2005, storm, construction jobs should be plentiful. Tax collections from purchases of building materials and furniture should keep coming. In March, city sales tax collections, which have fluctuated since the storm, hit $11.3 million; that compares with the $12.7 million collected the month before the storm.

The proposed rules would be the biggest clampdown on the industry in decades, aiming at protecting people from credit card companies that arbitrarily raise interest rates or don’t give borrowers adequate time to pay their bills.

The proposals also would restrict such lender practices as allocating all payments to balances with lower interest rates when a borrower has balances with different rates. The Fed board voted Friday to approve the recommendations.

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said the proposed rules “are intended to establish a new baseline for fairness in how credit card plans operate.” Consumers using credit cards “should be better able to predict how their decisions and actions will affect their costs,” he said.

Lawmakers who have demanded tougher controls on the credit card industry were generally positive about the proposed rules, as were consumer groups. But some questioned whether the changes would be strong enough and soon enough to help the millions of households struggling with credit card debt.

The protests and last-minute route changes that haunted the torch along its international relay route were expected to be over. Locals talked excitedly about welcoming the Olympic flame.

“Even if no police were here, we would protect the torch with our bodies!” said an 18-year-old vendor who gave his family name as Zhao. He was selling Chinese flags near the stage where the torch was to be lit today.

Actor Jackie Chan and basketball star Yi Jianlian were to be among 208 people carrying the torch along palm tree-lined roads overlooking the South China Sea.

Criticism of China’s human rights record has turned the torch relay into one of the most contentious in recent history. Protests dogged stops in Greece, Paris, London and San Francisco.

Fritzl’s confession that he kept his daughter locked in a windowless lair for 24 years, fathering seven of her children, while posing as the head of a happy family has bewildered, angered and estranged former friends.

One of them, a 45-year-old woman from Munich, who would give her name only as Andrea S., said she felt duped and betrayed by Fritzl.

“If I would see him now, I would ask ... ‘How can you do such a thing to your children?’” she told AP Television News in an interview Saturday.

That question also was on the minds of classmates of three of the children whom Fritzl fathered with Elisabeth — then allegedly smuggled out of the basement and dropped on the doorstep with notes police say he forced his daughter to write, saying she couldn’t raise them.

The 16-year-old A.C. Flora High School junior is also encouraging others in the school’s Save Darfur Club to drink only water or fruit juice for one day. “We all like to eat,” she said, but she said she’ll be calling club members to help them keep the fast.

The Darfur Action Group of South Carolina is coordinating the event. Participants are asked to donate the money they would have spent on food to the World Food Program to aid in feeding Darfur refugees who have fled the genocide in western Sudan, said Jo Read, coordinator of the state event.

Read has been instrumental in mobilizing high school and college students for this action as well as lobbying for legislation that would ensure South Carolina does not invest in companies that do business with Sudan.

Page said she became active in the Darfur issue last year and founded the Save Darfur Club at Flora after hearing news reports about the escalating genocide in the Sudan nation.

Omar Osama bin Laden, a 27-year-old metals trader, had hoped to live in Britain with his British-born wife. They live in Cairo, but she is eager to return to her country, where she has a home.

But his wife, Zaina Alsabah, said Omar’s residency application was rejected. A statement from the couple’s legal firm quoted a British consular officer.

The unnamed official said Omar had shown continued loyalty to his father, “who is ultimately held responsible for the London bombing.” The reference was to suicide attacks on July 7, 2005, that killed 52 people.

“Your presence in the U.K. could, therefore, cause considerable public concern,” the statement said.

Thirty-four died in combat. Many more were wounded. Many of those who survived returned to become leaders in a nation thrust into world leadership.

Two of them were Lee Chandler, a former justice on the South Carolina Supreme Court, and Robert Adden, who for 38 years taught and then headed the business program at The Citadel.

Chandler said Friday that Adden was “the glue that held our class together all those years.”

“He’s been an incredible friend and I’m so glad he survived,” Chandler said.

Brittany Young, 22, of Moncks Corner, said the high percentage of South Carolina students made a difference in her decision to attend the Florence school.

“It makes it easier to make friends and connections because we are all so much alike.”

But at the same time, she said, it has not made the campus insular.

“We have enough out-of-state students to keep things interesting.”

«Obituary posted: May 4, 2008»

Sara Cannon was a 1948 graduate of Furman Women’s College with a BA degree in Education. She chaired her 50th class reunion and remained a loyal Furman supporter all her life. She taught kindergarten in her home and was a retired elementary teacher in Marion and Greenville Counties. She was a licensed Funeral Director and Vice President of Cannon Funeral Home, Inc. until her retirement in 1989.

Sara Cannon was a life member and past President of the Fountain Inn Music Club, past President of the South Carolina Federation of Music Clubs, an officer of the National Federation of Music Clubs and the recipient of the Rose Fay Thoms Fellow in 1996. She is well remembered for chairing 35 years of the “Musical Chairs” activity to fund scholarships for college-bound music students and for chairing the “Tour of Homes” fundraiser to promote music education.

Mrs. Cannon was a Director of the Fountain Inn Chamber of Commerce for eight years. She helped organize Meals on Wheels and served on the Fountain Inn Downtown Revitalization Board. The annual “Christmas Past” festival began in Fountain Inn when she was chairman of Business Affairs. She served on the Business Partnership Board of Greenville, The Greenville County Board of Mental Health, and the Metropolitan Arts Council.

Mrs. Cannon was a former President of the Women of the Church, a member of the Administrative Board, and a Sunday School teacher at Trinity United Methodist Church.

A memorial service will be held at two o’clock on Sunday, May 11, 2008, in the Chapel of Woodridge Memorial Park and Funeral Home, with Reverend Jerry R. Basden officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Abundant Life Hospice, 6963 St. Andrews Road, Suite C, Columbia, SC 29212.

Ms. Stafford was born September 15, 1940, in Elizabeth, New Jersey. She was a daughter of the late Charles C. Linkston of Black Mountain, NC, and the late Leona Seibert of Newark, NJ.

Surviving are children, Bobby Stafford and James Stafford, both of West Columbia, Leana Hendley of Columbia, and Brenda Rea of Lexington; a brother, Charles E. Linkston of Black Mountain, NC; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, many friends and loved ones. She was predeceased by a sister, Charleen Linkston, and a grandson, Curtis L. Hendley.

Woodridge Funeral Home is honored to assist the Stafford family.

«Obituary posted: May 4, 2008»

A Celebration of Life service will be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Monday, in the Chapel of Woodridge Funeral Home. Honored to officiate is the Reverend Jeffery Scott. The family is pleased to greet friends following the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be directed to the Brennan Geller Scholarship Fund, c/o Wachovia Bank, 101 Dutch Square Blvd., Columbia, SC 29210, or to a charity of the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be made at www.mem.com.

Born September 19, 1958, in Clarksville, Tennessee, he was the son of the late Charles Geller Jr. and Lou Sigmon Geller. Mike had been a resident of Lexington for many years and was employed with Intertape Polymer Group. This sweet spirited man loved life and lived each day to the fullest. His personality was radiating and everyone that knew him loved him. In addition to the water, Mike’s passion was softball. Friends fondly remember him as one who had to hit the ball far, as he could not run very fast. He was a proud member of the “Over 40 League.” Mike loved his family and his gentle nature will live on in their hearts.

Surviving are his devoted wife of 14 years, Julie Geller of Lexington; his mother, Lou Geller of Columbia; a daughter, Brennan Geller of Lexington; a sister and brother-in-law, Tricia and Eddie McCraw of Kennesaw, Georgia; father-in-law and mother-in-law, John and Julia Goricki of Ft. Myers, Florida; sister-in-law, Karen Kaminer (Brian) of West Columbia; brother-in-law, Eddie Brennan (Faith) of North Ft. Myers, Florida; nieces and nephews, Kristina McCraw, and Andrea Cilluffo (James), all of Cumming, Georgia, Brooke and Kelsey Kaminer, both of West Columbia.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the Staff of SCOA for the love and care shown to Mike and their family.

Ms. Tucker died Thursday, April 29, 2008. Born in Hopkins, SC, she was the daughter of Fannie Lowman Tucker and the late William Tucker. She was a member of St. Matthews Baptist Church.

She is survived by her mother; brother, Willie Lee Tucker; sisters, Sarah Tucker, Dorothy Mae Tucker; special niece, Odena Ann Tucker.

Final arrangements have been entrusted to J.P. Holley Funeral Home.

«Obituary posted: May 4, 2008»

Services are private. Arrangements by BOPP Chapel, St. Louis.

«Obituary posted: May 4, 2008»

Mr. Cochrane died Saturday, May 3, 2008. Born in Charlotte, N.C., he was a son of Lillian Wrenn Ogburn Cochrane and the late Ernest Reid Cochrane. Mr. Cochrane was a 1971 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a BS in marketing, where he was a member of the KA Fraternity. He was a U.S. Naval Officer, serving in Vietnam. Mr. Cochrane was Vice President and Commercial Banking Officer with First National Bank of the South (formerly Carolina National Bank). He was past president of the Rotary Club in High Point, N.C. from 2005 - 2006, and became a member of the Columbia Rotary in 2007. Mr. Cochrane was a board member with the American Cancer Society, a member of the United Way, American Red Cross and Communities in Schools. Mr. Cochrane enjoyed golf and was a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

Surviving are his wife, Carol H. Cochrane of Columbia; three sons, William Cochrane of the home, Scott Cochrane and his wife, Sheri of Mauldin, S.C. and Matthew Cochrane and his wife, Denise of Charlottesville, V.A.; his mother of Columbia; sister, Connie Wrenn Cochrane of Rock Hill, S.C.; two grandchildren, Matthew Banks Cochrane Jr. of Charlottesville, V.A. and James Austin Cochrane of Mauldin, S.C.; and nieces, Laurin and Kaitlin Huffstetler of West Columbia.

Please sign the online guest book at www.dunbarfunerals.com.

«Obituary posted: May 4, 2008»

Julie was born Dec. 13, 1978, in Dickson County area of Kansas to a wonderful family. She liked to tell how good her parents were. Her mother is Janice Tubbs Brewer, her father is Wallace Eugene Brewer and her stepmother is Lynn Brewer. Julie’s Grandma, the late Doris Brewer was one of her best friends. She is also survived by her significant other, Donna Flake, and Damon Flake whom she loved like a son. Her best friend was her dog, “Scooby Doo.” She was an all-star in softball throughout school.

Visitation will be Monday from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Wagener Chapel of Blizzard Funeral Home. The funeral service will be Tuesday also in the Chapel at 2 p.m. Burial will follow in the Wagener Cemetery. An on-line register is available at www.blizzardfuneralhome.com.

«Obituary posted: May 4, 2008»

Mr. Dorn passed away on Thursday, May 1, 2008. Born in West Columbia, he was the son of Bobby and Wanda Dorn. He was a lifelong area resident and a member of Grace Baptist Church and a member of the church choir. Mr. Dorn graduated with honors from Airport High. He was in the class of 1994 at The Citadel. He was a member of the Voice 1994 Junior Sword Drill; he received honors as a Palmetto Boy’s State Outstanding Junior Counselor, Cayce Rotary Scholar, Army ROTC Scholarship Cadet, and one year Citadel Scholar, he also was Airborne Certified, SCUBA Certified.

Surviving in addition to his parents, Bobby and Wanda Ridgeway Dorn of West Columbia; daughter, Brianna Dorn of Concord, NC; grandmother, Agnes Ridgeway, aunts, Rochelle Dorn and Martha Smart; uncle, John L. Ridgeway; numerous cousins.

www.thompsonsfuneral.com

«Obituary posted: May 4, 2008»

Born November 15, 1959, she was a daughter of Robert Wayne and Gloria Wilkie Rush. She was a 1977 graduate of Dreher High School and a 1985 graduate of the University of South Carolina at Columbia with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science. Mrs. Grant was formerly employed by J.B. White at the Richland Fashion Mall and was an accomplished poet with several of her poems having been published.

She was a member of Rosewood Baptist Church.

Surviving in addition to her husband and parents of the home are a sister, Gay Haugen of Oregon City, Oregon; a brother, Joel Rush of Alamogordo, New Mexico; her paternal grandmother, Mary Talbert Rush of Greenwood; and several nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be Monday at 11:00 a.m. at Troy Cemetery in Greenwood County with Rev. Louie McDonald officiating.

Mr. Wooldridge passed away Saturday, May 3, 2008, after a 9 year battle with a long illness. Born in Lynchburg, VA, he had been an area resident since 1972. Mr. Wooldridge retired from Burgess Painting. He was a diehard Clemson fan and a big NASCAR fan. He was a caring and loving son, brother, and uncle. He will be dearly missed. He was loved by all who know him!

Surviving are his mother, Virginia Ann Price Wesson, and his stepfather, Jerome Wesson of West Columbia; brothers and sister-in-law, David Wooldridge of West Columbia, Paul and Sheila Wooldridge of West Columbia; numerous nieces and nephews. Mr. Wooldridge was preceded in death by Mark Andrew Wooldridge.

www.thompsonsfuneral.com

«Obituary posted: May 4, 2008»

Funeral services will be held 3 p.m. Monday, May 5, 2008, at Hopewell Baptist Church, directed by the Brice W. Herndon and Sons Funeral Home, Varnville-Hampton Chapel. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

Mr. Zahler was born August 27, 1927, in Yemassee and was the son of the late Tatnell Oswald Zahler Sr. and Lula Estelle Priester Zahler. He served his country in the United States Army during World War II and the Korean Conflict and was a retired painter. He was member of Hopewell Baptist Church. He will be remembered as a person who possessed a deep love for his family and his church.

Surviving are: his children, Tatnell “Tat” Oswald Zahler III and his wife June of Varnville, Horace Zahler of Varnville, Rusty Zahler and his wife Laura of Gaston, Mary Ellen Cook and her husband Charles of Walterboro, Joyce Ann Frasier and her husband Edward of Walterboro, Carol Boone and her husband Danny of Varnville, Fay Rosier and her husband Jackie of Nixville, Gay Jarrell and her husband John of Nixville and Janice Adams and her husband Wendy of Nixville; brother-in-law, Randolph Gooding and his wife Peggy of Varnville; sister-in-law, Terry Thomas and her husband Gary of Highland Park, Illinois; 20 grandchildren, including Joseph Zahler of the home; and 21 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a brother, William Andrew Zahler, and a sister, Reba Cummings.

Visitation will be held Sunday, May 4, 2008, starting at 12 p.m. at the home, 1582 Hickory Hill Road, Varnville.

The relatives and friends of Minnie Smith are invited to attend her funeral service on Monday, May 5, 2008, at J. Henry Stuhr, Inc., Mount Pleasant Chapel, at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow in Carolina Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at the Mount Pleasant Chapel on Sunday, May 4, 2008, from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m.

Mrs. Smith was born September 29, 1907, in Columbia, SC. She was the daughter of the late James Frederick Elrod and Jessie Freeman Elrod. She was a homemaker and a caregiver to many people. She was a charter member of Ashley River Baptist Church and of Folly Beach Baptist Church. She taught Sunday School for many years. She was very active in the Folly Beach Garden Club. In the middle 1940s, Mrs. Smith started kindergarten in her home. She was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and loved to spend time with her family and friends. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

She is survived by her daughter, Mary Ellen Braun of Mt. Pleasant, SC; three grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to East Cooper Baptist Church, Missions Ministry, 361 Egypt Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464.

www.palmermemorialchapel.com

«Obituary posted: May 4, 2008»

Her family and friends are invited to attend the Rite of Christian Burial at 11:00 o’clock Tuesday, May 6, 2008, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 510 St. James Ave., Goose Creek. Entombment will follow in Dorchester Memory Gardens in Summerville. The visitation will be Monday evening from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. with a rosary service at 7:00 o’clock at McAlister-Smith Funeral Home, Goose Creek Chapel, 100 S. Goose Creek Blvd., Goose Creek, SC. Memorials are suggested to the Debt Reduction Fund at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.

Phyllis was born November 20, 1923, in Furman, SC, daughter of the late Harry L. Polk and Addie Mae Mixon Polk. A graduate of Rice Business College in Charleston, she traveled extensively and lived abroad and at various U.S. military bases throughout her husband’s 25 year Army career. She served as the vice-chair of all the Army Wives Clubs in Europe and volunteered as a Gray Lady at numerous Army hospitals. She volunteered at her husband’s side in Knights of Columbus.

Phyllis is survived by her husband of 66 years, Michael W. Telesco; her daughter, Kathryn MacEachern and her husband, Robert, of Spokane, WA; her grandchildren, Michael MacEachern of Savannah, Charles MacEachern and his wife Tammy of Florence, Daniel MacEachern of Spokane, and Joseph MacEachern and his wife Carol of Hanahan; granddaughters, Kristina Telesco of Buffalo, NY and Teresa Telesco of Washington, DC, as well as five great-grandchildren. Also surviving are her brother, James Polk of Lexington and sister, Harriet Hughes of Greer. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her son, Charles Telesco, and two brothers, Edwin Polk and Larry Polk.

Online messages may be forwarded to the family at www.mcalister-smith.com.

Rev. Rogers died Wednesday, April 30, 2008. Born June 6, 1931, in Berkeley County, he was a son of Rev. Samuel W. Rogers and Edna S. Rogers. He was the owner of Rogers Auto Sales, retired teacher of Berkeley County School District, retired pastor of Silas United Methodist Church, retired employee of SCDOT, retired teacher of Bonneau Vocational Center, and Coordinator for Concentration Employment Program.

Survivors include his children; Mary Ann Toone, Gwenevere Cynthia Elerby (Johnny), Nathalina Tolbert (Barrett), Robert Gadsden (Loleta) and Alphonso Rogers (Yvonne); sister-in-law, Wilhelmina J. Rogers; brother-in-law, John E. Jones (Ella); grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Clara J. Rogers; daughter, Adelaide Rogers; and brothers, George Rogers and Leon Rogers.

Please sign the guestbook at www.gethersfuneralhome.com.

Mrs. Dill was born in Greenville County, daughter of the late James A. and Rebecca Babb Stokes. She was a homemaker and was a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church.

Surviving are four daughters, Willie Mae Wilson of Greer, Charlotte Waldrop and her husband, Jack of Greenville, Glenda Orcutt and her husband, Gary of Lebanon, OH and Rachel Owensby and her husband, Joel of Greer; one son, Brooks Dill and his wife, Norma of Lexington, SC; two brothers, Harold Stokes of Lake City and Arnold Stokes of Huntsville, AL; three sisters, Gladys Powell of Greer, Collen Banks of Mt. Pleasant and Virginia Heath of Travelers Rest, fourteen grandchildren, thirty-five great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Dill was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, two sons, Marshall and Gerald Dill, two brothers, Louie Stokes and Cecil Stokes, and one sister, Etta Wooten.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. Monday in the Chapel of Wood Mortuary by Rev. Terry Greene, Dr. Drew Hines and Martha Mays. Interment will follow in Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends prior to the service from 10:00 a.m. until 10:45 a.m.