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She appreciates more shopping choices close to her Kenwood neighborhood home.

But she says the commercial footprint of asphalt, stucco and brick is less attractive than the landscape it supplants.

“Lexington reaching this far once was inconceivable,” Reid said. “Now it’s gobbling up anything it can.”

Residents love shopping here, in the heart of Lexington County’s growth. But the talk these days is about managing the way the new development looks — and whether it’s too late for that.

Instead Harris Pastides, son of Greek immigrants from Cyprus, said he needed to find something to pay the bills.

So he took up medicine.

And just as his father worked his way up from washing dishes to owning his own restaurant, Pastides has climbed the academic ladder to the top of the state’s largest university.

Friends and colleagues describe Pastides, 54, as methodical and thorough when he makes decisions, aided by a driving curiosity to learn everything he can.

Lexington 1 principal John Young has been getting ready for this moment his entire career.

For the first time in 27 years in education, he will open a new school — Forts Pond Elementary, scheduled to greet students Aug. 20.

“The feeling of being able to pick out every color and every piece of furniture really helps you have ownership of the building,” he said Thursday, after another full day of checking off items on his to-do list.

With the start of the new school year a little more than a month away for Richland, Lexington and Kershaw County students, everyone — from construction workers to administrators — is pressing to finish projects.

This quarterly event, hosted by Friends of the Richland County Public Library, puts some 40,000 book, music and movie pleasures before the public at a discount. Some are rare; some are new. But most of the donated items can be purchased for less than $3.

Whether you come for science fiction’s Isaac Asimov or one of the many “Goosebumps” books loved by children, the Friends’ book sale — the latest was held Saturday — aims to please.

“You can get pretty much anything you want out here,” said Padgett Lewis, spokeswoman for the Richland County Public Library. “It’s like the library. There’s something for everyone.”

And die-hard fans know just what to expect. They come early to the library’s operations center on Lancewood Road and they come prepared. They tote in cloth bags and plastic sacks, boxes and crates. They come with long lists or the thought of one ideal find.

Pure Fishing, which owns 12 brands of fishing tackle, including Shakespeare, is searching for office space for about 150 salaried professionals, said Terry Carlson, Pure Fishing’s chief executive officer.

Some executives already are working in Columbia at the former Shakespeare manufacturing plant off Two Notch Road. The company hopes to have its Columbia headquarters in full swing by 2009, Carlson said.

Pure Fishing comes to Columbia with hopes of dominating the world’s sport-fishing market.

“Our whole company is built around helping people catch more fish,” Carlson said.

1.

HE’S IDEOLOGICALLY RIGID

DeMint, like Helms, is an ideological purist who holds fast to conservative principles such as low spending, low taxes, deregulation and strong national defense.

DeMint also, like Helms, doesn’t mind antagonizing fellow Republicans who drift leftward on those core principles. DeMint emerged as a leader in the Senate during his fight to sink illegal immigration reform, splitting with much of the Republican Party to kill a plan designed by President Bush.

The life of a truck driver can often be lonely, but not for Joel Moye, who takes a few hundred pals along for the ride each day via Webcams in his cab that deliver live feed to his own Web site. (It can be found at www.justin.tv/joelmoye?77.)

Moye has been driving trucks for 13 years, and in 2002 he started filming his days, primarily as an educational tool for those unfamiliar with the trucking world, he said. He’d record his time on the road and transfer it to the Web, which meant the feed was never live.

Then last year, Moye discovered an Internet site that allowed for streaming video and chat. And in February, after establishing proper Internet connections, he went live, with streaming video available each day as he takes to South Carolina’s roadways.

Moye typically keeps one camera on the road and another on himself, and visitors to his site can watch, listen, join an ongoing typed chat in a chat room or use Internet phone call site Skype to actually speak to him.

Congress moved Friday to help struggling homeowners across the country. The Senate passed a housing relief bill authorizing the Federal Housing Authority to back $300 billion in affordable mortgages.

The measure also would partially reimburse lenders for losses on mortgages with lowered interest rates and other modifications aimed at keeping people in their homes.

U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, a Greenville Republican, had blocked the legislation because he believes it rewards the writing of risky mortgages.

“This bill bails out mortgage lenders that made bad loans and forces Americans to shoulder $300 billion in new risk,” DeMint said.

After three years of lobbying, lawmakers finally approved Billy “Reb” Richardson’s bill allowing motorcyclists to run red lights that fail to change after two minutes.

Richardson, a Sumter resident, said it might be the last time he tries to push a law through the Legislature. He was surprised at how difficult the process was, even joking that he hoped Gov. Mark Sanford might authorize some compensation for his time.

All of which prompted Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer to suggest there was an easier way.

Lawmakers love to name bills after people. There’s Daniel’s Law, allowing someone to drop off a newborn at a hospital, and Chandler’s Law (not yet a law), which would require kids to wear helmets on ATVs.

Bobby Lee Holmes Jr., 36, pleaded guilty Saturday to murder, burglary in the first degree and common-law robbery in connection to Stewart’s death.

The York widow was sexually assaulted and beaten in her home Dec. 31, 1989. She died in March 1990 from a beating that a doctor previously testified left her with brain damage.

Holmes received life without parole for murder, Judge G. Thomas Cooper Jr. of the 5th Judicial Circuit said. Holmes also received life without parole for burglary, first degree, and 15 years for common-law robbery. The sentences will run concurrently.

Across the court room, Stewart’s family looked on. “Mary Stewart was an extraordinary individual,” Stewart’s grandson, Ken Stewart, said after court. “My family can continue to move forward and give honor to her legacy of excellence.”

An autopsy is scheduled this morning on Jushaun D. Patterson, who is believed to have drowned, Watts said. He was pronounced dead at 6:34 p.m. at Providence Hospital Northeast, where he was taken by an ambulance.

He was pulled from the pool, where he was playing with friends, about 5:20 p.m., Watts said. Bystanders performed CPR before EMS arrived, Richland County EMS spokesman George Rice said.

Contributing: Lee Higgins

It will be the first time in the 61 years of the Florida attraction that the mermaids have performed away from their home. The mermaids will perform their underwater choreography Aug 1-3 at Ripley’s Aquarium in Myrtle Beach. The swimmers will perform in Ray Bay, an 85,000-gallon saltwater tank.

The Weeki Wachee Theater opened in 1947 on Florida’s west coast and during the 1950s was one of the most popular tourist stops in the nation.

Isle of Palms Fire Chief Ann Graham said that the man was swimming around 2 p.m. Friday when he said a shark jumped from the water and bit his arm. The man was taken to a hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. His name had not been released.

Authorities warned swimmers to stay out of the water but did not close the beach, where a 37-year-old man said a small shark nipped his hand last month.

The orderly, old-timey store on Lexington’s U.S. 378 is where Smith goes to pick up 50-pound bags of corn for the geese that share his place at the lake.

In an era of generic warehouses and indifferent sales people, Smith prefers Consumers because it’s local.

“The people are right out of Mayberry,” he said. “It’s wonderful.”

Consumers Feed & Seed caters to people who work hard and stake a claim outdoors. It sells tender crookneck squash and tomato plants, garden seeds, fertilizer and mulch. Tubs, rakes and squirrel traps. Salt lick and horse feed.

Alan Kahn, developer of the Northeast Richland project, confirmed recently his interest in building a similar project in the Lexington area.

“I certainly think it would be a good thing for the area and have been looking for sites to do one,” he said in an e-mail while vacationing in Europe. He could not be reached for further comment.

U.S. 378 is home to many strip shopping centers but none large enough to draw shoppers from across the region.

Kahn’s interest and another proposed project could make that happen.

But assistant city engineer Bill Brown said that the dye in Richland Creek isn’t a health hazard and will fade over time.

Several lanes of Pleasantburg Road were closed Thursday while authorities cleaned up herbicide and blue tracer dye that spilled after the truck carrying them was in an accident.

Ira lived to tell the story of their life on the streets, but Sadaris was not as fortunate. He was beaten to death earlier this year in what Ira called a vicious drug-related attack.

The brothers slept on mats spread out on red dirt and cooked their meals on a portable grill at the overpass along lower Dorchester Road. A nearby church provided them jugs of water, and every few days they would head over to another brother’s house for a shower.

Sadaris and Ira used the street names Peter and Dirty. Ira, 48, said they drank beer and used crack cocaine. Ira said his drug use was mostly recreational, but it became an addiction for Sadaris, who would have turned 47 this month.

About 7 a.m. on April 4, Sadaris was found badly beaten under a tree in a field off Bennett Yard Road. At Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital, Sadaris was in a coma for more than a month.

A legal battle is raging between two of Brown’s former business managers and the trustees of his estate, who want the auction to go forward. Earlier this week, a judge in South Carolina approved a request by the two former business managers for an emergency stay of the sale.

Items on the block include the soul singer’s love notes, handwritten lyrics and the denim jumpsuit Brown wore for the 1974 concert preceding the “Rumble in the Jungle” boxing bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. And there’s Brown’s Yamaha baby grand piano from his South Carolina home.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Dr. Vidic passed away at his home in Charleston May 1, 2008, of natural causes. He was born in Pasadena, California, February 22, 1957, to Rose Ann Mezgec Vidic and John Rudolph Vidic. He graduated from Glendale High School, Glendale College, the University of Southern California and received his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina.

In his twenties, he was a Nationally recognized championship motocross racer, eventually riding under Suzuki factory colors with his father serving as his mechanic. He was an avid boater and water skier. His accomplishments as a forensic psychologist in South Carolina and Georgia lead to a national recognition and he was requested by Administrative Judges Nationwide to testify as an expert witness in matters before them.

He worked as a State Agency Medical Consultant for the Georgia and South Carolina State Agencies conducting Social Security disability determinations, and was certified by the Social Security Administration as a psychological consultant.

His sister, Leslie Miller, three nephews and two nieces, of California, survive him. Family, friends and fellow Christians, from a wide geographical area, sorely miss him as he touched many lives with his love and fellowship.

Mrs. Powell was born in Vance, South Carolina, a daughter of the late Reverend Harry Daniel Shuler and Aleen Brown Shuler. She was a member of Union United Methodist Church, where she served as church pianist, Sunday School teacher, Methodist Youth Fellowship leader, and president of United Methodist Women.

Survivors include five daughters, Dohnree P. Cribb (L.H., deceased) of Hemingway; Betty P. Dennis (Ed) of Pawleys Island; Margaret P. Miller (Randy) of Seneca; Gwendolyn P. Holloman (Vince) of Matthews, N.C.; Julie P. Varn (Billy) of Hartsville; three sons, Harry Francis Powell (Barbara) of Johnsonville; Ronald S. Powell (Janine) of Fort Collins, Colo.; Robert Gregory Powell of Lexington; thirteen grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren.

She was predeceased by her husband. a son Joe Lynn Powell, one sister and four brothers.

Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 13, 2008, at Union United Methodist Church with the Reverend Jeremy Howell, the Reverend Julius Hadden, and the Reverend Laurie McAlpine officiating. Burial, directed by Morris Funeral Home of Hemingway, will follow in the church cemetery.

Mrs. Moore died Thursday, July 10, 2008. Born in Columbia, SC, she was the daughter of the late George E. and Sara Bell Monroe Ashford. She received a B.S. Degree in Criminal Justice from Benedict College and was employed in the security department at Benedict as chief of Security. She was a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

Surviving are her husband, Talmadge Moore; brothers, George Jr., Sidney and Monroe (Regina) Ashford; daughters, Teresa (Tamir) Mutakabbir and Natalie (Jermaine) Fulton; sons, Richard (Dottie), Ronald Steven (Regina), Rodney and Rex Hill, and Willie Bernard (Jaynine) Meeks; 14 grands; and one great-grand; nieces. nephews, cousins and friends.

www.palmermemorialchapel.com

«Obituary posted: July 13, 2008»

Roy was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Columbia and served his church well as an elder and was involved in the Men’s Bible Class for 27 years.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, July 14, 2008, at the First Presbyterian Church. The family will receive friends immediately following the service at the church. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church Children’s Ministries, 1324 Marion St., Columbia, SC 29201. Thompson Funeral Home of West Columbia is in charge of arrangements.

www.thompsonsfuneral.com

«Obituary posted: July 13, 2008»

Mrs. Dantzler was born in Bowman, a daughter of the late William C. Sain and Texas Rickenbaker Sain. She was a nurse trained by Dr. Brabham and Dr. Frierson, with whom she worked until her retirement. She was a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church where she was actively involved in all activities. She was the widow of James A. “Jimmy” Dantzler and was predeceased by a brother Chester F. Sain.

Surviving are a sister, Mrs. Vera S. Guzman, Williston, sister-in-law, Mrs. Addie Lee Sain, Orangeburg; and a number of nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to: St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 1356 Amelia St., Orangeburg, SC 29115 or to Hospice of the The Regional Medical Center, P.O. Box 2352, Orangeburg, SC 29115

The family will receive friends following the Memorial Service.

Mrs. Kelly, wife of the late John W. Kelly, passed away Tuesday, July 8, 2008. Born May 4, 1922, she was the daughter of the late Davis S. and Carrie Lovett Dawkins. Prior to her illness, she was a member of Airport Baptist Church and Elizabeth McDaniel Chapter #115 of the Order of the Eastern Star.

Surviving are her son and daughter-in-law, William D. and Christa K. Kelly of Mayer, Ariz.; grandchildren: Monica M. Pearce of Batesburg-Leesville; Steven W. Kelly of Glendale, Ariz.; Toya M. Thomson and Janet K. Goins of West Columbia; John W. Kelly of Mayer, Ariz.; and thirteen great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her daughters, Barbara J. Moore and Carol A. Kelly.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, S.C. Chapter, P.O. Box 7044, Columbia, SC 29202.

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

Born November 24, 1949, a son of Mrs. Sarah Brown Perry and the late Lindsay Perry, he died Monday, July 7, 2008. He was educated in the Fairfield County School System and was employed by Duke Power Company for over twenty-six years.

He is survived by his mother, Sarah Perry, Winnsboro; sister, Sarah (Julius Jr.) Atterberry, Stratford, CT; brother, Eddie James Perry, Oceanside, CA; nephew, Julius (Tanya) Atterberry III; two great-nephews, Trey Julius and Tyler Jamison Atterberry of West Orange, NJ; four aunts, Mamie Brown, Winnsboro, Maria (William) Todd, Lulu Mendes and Nell (Samuel) Banks, Hartford, CT; uncle, Willie Young, Winnsboro; many relatives and friends.

O.E. Manigault and Sons Funeral Home is in charge. Notes may be emailed to the family at oemanigaultfhgmail.com.

«Obituary posted: July 13, 2008»

Horace was born March 2, 1915, in Sumter, South Carolina. He graduated in 1936 from Clemson Military Academy, now Clemson University in South Carolina.

Horace was a man whose life was an example of leadership and service. He proudly served his country in the Army, and was a veteran of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Upon retiring from the Army, Horace was Vice President of Development at The University of Akron in Ohio. Wanting to return to South Carolina, he retired from The University of Akron to be Director of Deferred Gifts and Estate Planning at his Alma Mata, Clemson University.

Horace’s service work began as a boy when he became an Eagle Scout and continued throughout his life. Some of the service organizations he belonged to were the Elks, the Masons and Rotary International. Horace exemplified Rotary’s motto of “service above self,” and he was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow in 1989. In the Masons he achieved the honorable 32nd Degree, and was invited into the Shriners. It was in the Hejaz Shriner’s Motorcycle Unit that he combined his personal mission of service with his love for riding motorcycles.

Horace was preceded in death by his parents, siblings, first wife, and grandson. He will be dearly missed by his wife Sandy “Babe,” daughter Hope, son Bill, daughter Kristie, son-in-law Michael, and beloved granddaughter Fallon.

Born in Fort Benning, Georgia, July 7, 1952, she was a daughter of William Edwards Bynum Jr. and Anna Shuler Bynum. She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 31 years, Thomas English McCutchen, III.

She is survived by her daughter, Anna Rebecca McCutchen; her son, Thomas English McCutchen IV and daughter-in-law, Kathryn Willoughby McCutchen; her parents of Sumter; sister, Mary Clarke Bynum; and brothers, William Edwards Bynum III and his wife, Trish, and Thomas Budd Bynum and his wife, Peggy.

Becky graduated from Columbia College in 1973 with a B.A. in Theatre. She was an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina School of Journalism, leading seminars locally and around the country in Public Speaking. Becky was a valued member of the Columbia community, serving on the board of The Nurturing Center and many committees at Columbia College, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School and Trinity Cathedral. She was a philanthropist for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, July 15, at 2 o’clock in the afternoon at First Presbyterian Church with a reception immediately following in Jackson Hall. Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is assisting the family.

Mr. Smith graduated from the University of South Carolina where he was the captain of the 1933 Southern Conference Championship team and captain of the 1934 team. He also lettered in track and baseball at USC. In the fall of 1936, Buck assumed the duties as physical education instructor and basketball coach at University High School in Columbia. While at University High, he became a “builder of men.” At University High, Buck turned out team after team of state winners and as a physical education director he was one of those guys that couldn’t be beat. Those state winners became “his boys” and Buck followed each of them till his death.

During WW II, Buck served in the Navy and was a commander in the United States Naval Reserve. Buck retired from the Dorn Veterans Medical Center as assistant to the chief of staff. Buck loved athletics of all kinds and especially when it involved the USC Gamecocks. We thank Buck for his life as a teacher, coach, mentor and especially the friend he was to all. His life has had an impact on so many. Thanks for the caring and the memories, Buck and Alys.

Survivors are a sister Mary Smith Wingard of Lexington, SC; special nieces, Carol Fowles of Eastover, SC, and Joyce W. Inge of Johnson City, TN, and numerous other nieces and nephews.

A breakfast tribute for all who knew and loved Buck will be held at Southwoode Clubhouse, 45 Southwoode Circle, in Chapin August 13, 2008, at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. Herlong, a native of Johnston, died Friday, July 11, 2008, at his residence. Born September 23, 1915, he was a son of the late Henry Hancock and Nettie Rankin Herlong. Mr. Herlong was a graduate of Clemson College, Class of 1937. While there, he ran track, the 440 yard dash, and won the State Championship his junior and senior years. He was a member of the Clemson Letterman Club and was a member of IPTAY for over 50 years. Upon finishing Clemson College, he was in charge of the future Farmers of America Camp at Murrell’s Inlet, taught agriculture for one year and worked with the Farmers Home Administration for 3 ½ years. He served in World War II for 4 years as a Captain and Company Commander and served with the South Carolina National Guard from 1947 to 1959 as a Major in rank. Mr. Herlong was Master of the Harmony Grange and in 1951 was president of the Young Farmers of South Carolina. He was a trustee of Edgefield County Schools, Treasurer of the Edgefield County Cattleman’s Association for a number of years and was active in civic duties having been a charter member of the Jaycees, the first Commander of the Johnston American Legion, Post No 154 and served as Adjutant in the American legion for a number of years. He retired from the Agriculture Stabilization Conservation Service as manager in 1975.

Mr. Herlong was a member of Harmony United Methodist Church, was a past chairman of the official board of the church and taught Adult Sunday School for over 30 years.

Survivors include two daughters: Nancy Herlong, Johnston and Gayle Knight and husband John of Lake Wateree; four grandchildren: Wayne Harling, Alicia Jenkins, Tracie Colgan, and Kimberly Bell; ten great-grandchildren; Sawyer and Devynne Harling; Tyler, Cole, and Hailey Jenkins; Drew, Magen, and Nicole Colgan; Brinley and Duncan Bell and his very special friend and caregiver, Stephen Graves. He was preceded in death by seven brothers: Homer, William, Henry, Thomas, Ben, Robert, DC (Big John) and by his sister Mary Whitaker.

Mr. Herlong will be remembered as a special and loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He loved his church and his family and set a good Christian example for his family by the life he lived. He was a generous and caring individual.

Mr. Rogers was born in Dillon County, a son of the late Nelton and Shirley Page Rogers. He was a member of the Marion Baptist Church, the Oak Tree Sunday School Class, and was the Assistant Principal at Creek Bridge High School. He received his BA at Francis Marion University and his Masters Degree at USC. Robin was a loving husband and father, and a friend to his son. He always held his students in a special place in his heart.

Surviving are his wife, Cindy Blum Rogers; a son, Joshua Morris Rogers, both of the home; four aunts, Joyce Baird of Turbeville, SC, Jan Lombardo of Myrtle Beach, SC, Judy Raspberry of Florence, SC, and Linda Hyatt of Dillon, SC; an uncle, Ben Page of Myrtle Beach, SC; mother-in-law, Elizabeth Blum of Marion, SC; in-laws, Diane and Bill Bean of Spartanburg, SC, Ricky and Theresa Blum of Pleasant View, SC, and Kathy W. Blum of Conway, SC; and a number of special nieces and nephews. Mr. Rogers was predeceased by his grandparents, Mr and Mrs. Cornie Rogers and Mr. and Mrs. Ben Page, a brother, Russell (Rusty) Nelton Rogers, his father-in-law, Morris Blum, a brother-in-law, Allan P. Blum, and a nephew, Adam Bean.

Memorials may be made to Creek Bridge High School/Robin Rogers Scholarship, P.O. Drawer 1439, Rains, SC 29589 or to Waccamaw Community Foundation for Allan Blum Scholarship, 3655 S. Hwy. 17 Business, Murrells Inlet, SC. 29576.

«Obituary posted: July 13, 2008»

Dunbar Funeral Home, Devine Street Chapel, is assisting the family.

«Obituary posted: July 13, 2008»

She was born in Zug, Kentucky, daughter of the late Grant and Ida Mae Blair Miller. She was a cake decorator and a homemaker.

Surviving are her husband Bobbie Collins; sisters and brothers, Doris, Marilyn, Martha, Samantha, Alden, Mort, Steve; children, Robert Rogers of Batesburg, Herb Collins (Mary) of West Columbia and Marsha Holley (George) of Leesville; grandchildren, Bradley Collins, Christopher Holley, Emily Collins, and Sam Collins.

Family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m Sunday, July 13, at Milton Shealy Funeral Home, other times at his home. Milton Shealy Funeral Home is assisting family with arrangements

«Obituary posted: July 13, 2008»

Born October 15, 1918, he was the son of the late Dr. Riley Monroe Farley and Laura Moore Farley of Syracuse, NY. Dr. Farley received his medical degree from Syracuse University College of Medicine, and following his internship at Rhode Island Hospital, he served in the U.S. Air Force as a Captain and Flight Surgeon during WW II. After his service to our country, he held residencies at the Deaconess and Good Samaritan Hospitals in Cincinnati, OH. Following five years of surgical residencies, he went into private practice, became a Fellow of the College of Surgeons, and was Board Certified in General Surgery. After ten years of private practice in the Midwest, he joined the Dorn VA Hospital in Columbia, SC, where he progressed from Chief of Surgery to Chief of Staff. In his final years before retirement, he served as Professor of Surgery and Associate Dean for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, SC.

Dr. Farley is survived by his loving wife of 64 years, Kathryn Margaret “Peg” Boles Farley; a son, Steven B. Farley and his wife Jacqueline of Atlanta, GA; a daughter, Kristen F. Johnson and her husband Bruce of Inman, SC; and two grandchildren, Caitlin and Bryan Farley of Atlanta, GA. He was predeceased by a brother, Dr. Louis R. Farley and a sister, Ruth Farley.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, P.O. Box 599, New York, NY 10021-0036; or to a charity of one’s choice.

An online guest register is available at Error! Reference source not found..

Chris, 31, beloved son of Donald and Ellen Robertson of Little Mountain, was born in Columbia, SC, November 19, 1976. He was a graduate of Mid-Carolina High School and went on to serve in the National Guard. He used his mechanically inclined talents as a diesel mechanic, doing what he loved best, figuring out how things work. He was currently employed as a long distance truck driver, getting to see the wonders that God has created across the land of this nation. He was a tender spirit, who touched everyone who met him with his sweet and gentle nature. Confident in his faith, Chris was a dedicated follower of Christ. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, and have been called according to His purpose, if God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:28.

Chris was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Floyd Robertson and Betty Branham and his maternal grandfather, George Bridwell.

In addition to his parents, Donald and Ellen Robertson, Chris leaves behind a sister, Ellen; a brother-in-law, Chris, and an adoring nephew, Tony Lee; a grandmother, Nadine Bridwell; an aunt, Elaine Griffith; uncles, Michael Bridwell, Richard Bridwell, and David Robertson; and many cousins and family members who were blessed to have known him.

The Woodlawn Funeral Home, Greenville, SC, will be serving the Robertson family. Cards or flowers may be sent directly to the family.

«Obituary posted: July 13, 2008»

She was born in Perry, SC, a daughter of the late Israel and Grace Binnicker Poole. She moved to Swansea as a young woman. Mrs. Kirkland refused to tell her exact age because she did not feel age was an important fact of life. Her activities and appearance belied her age and she continued to be very active until her death. She was a homemaker and seamstress. Mrs. Kirkland lived a long, joyous, and active life. She was constantly surrounded by family and friends, and had an open door to her children’s friends. She was a member of Ebenezer United Methodist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, Raymond M. Kirkland and Dennie W. Hendrix; her son, James Gerald (Jimmie) Kirkland; and grandson, James Michael (Mike) Kirkland.

She is survived by her daughters: Iris K. Carter, and Sadie K. Wannamaker, both of Swansea; sons and daughters-in-law: Donnie R. and Rebecca B. Kirkland, of Swansea; M.C. and Sarah E. Kirkland, of Aiken; and Harry C. Kirkland, of Swansea; her beloved grandchildren: Robby Wannamaker, Rhonda W. Gunter, Patti K. Woodward, Ray Kirkland, Kimberly K. Corley, and Bradley M. Kirkland; six great-grandchildren: Hailey and Hannah Gunter, Audrie and Thomas Corley, Alex Coggins, and Kyle Catoe; and a sister, Mrs. Ida Brown, of West Columbia.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Sunday at Culler-McAlhany Funeral Home in North and other times at the home of Mrs. Iris Carter, 2252 Highway 178, Swansea. Memorials may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for Research, 215 East Bay Street, Suite 205-B, Charleston, SC 29401.

«Obituary posted: July 13, 2008»

Mr. Hendrix died Saturday, July 12, 2008. Born in Newberry, he was the son of Estelle Suit Hendrix and the late John Derring Hendrix. He retired from DuPont where he was an Electrician. He was an avid fisherman and was a member of the Wateree Crappie Masters and the Crappie Association.

Surviving are his wife of 28 years, Betty T. Hendrix; mother of Camden; sons, John Christopher Hendrix of Camden, and Michael Shawn (Mary W.) Hendrix of Camden; daughters, Dawn H. (Jeff) Jones of Camden, Tina Marie (Chad) Branham of Lugoff, and Loree H. Gardner of Camden; and 12 grandchildren.

Sign the online register at www.powersfuneralhome.net.

«Obituary posted: July 13, 2008»

You did? Are you sure? I just ask because, as a member of the U.S. economy, I’m feeling a little understimulated.

But then, I always had doubts about the whole scheme.

Sort of like with the government’s bailout of Bear Stearns. I’m not a libertarian, not by a long shot, but sometimes I break out with little itchy spots of libertarianism, and one of those itchy spots causes me to ask, Why am I, as a taxpaying member of the U.S. economy, bailing out something called Bear Stearns? I didn’t even know what it was. Even after I’d read about it in The Wall Street Journal, I still could not answer the fundamental question, “If you work at Bear Stearns, what is it that you do all day?” I understand what a fireman does, and if the fire department were about to go under, I’d be one of the first to step forward and say let’s bail it out. Of course, if the fire department wanted me to lend it $29 billion, with a “B,” I might have further questions. Yet that’s what we’ve done for Bear Stearns.

Apparently Bear Stearns is a financial institution that the federal government considers “too big to fail,” which makes me wonder, if it’s too big to fail, then why does it need to be bailed out?

The recent disclosure of yet another financial debacle (insurance overruns) in Columbia’s government only goes to emphasize bungling Mayor Bob Coble’s incompetence as a leader.

How can he or anyone in city government be so certain there is no money missing, or of anything at all, for that matter, about the financial condition of the city, when audits are not current, procedures are not followed, reports are out of date and budgets are created out of thin air? His tax-and-spend philosophy has created an atmosphere of condoned waste throughout city government and can be traced all the way back to the Air South debacle.

While city manager Charles Austin seems to be a decent, well-intentioned man, he is obviously a governmental dilettante, as the continuous stream of personnel and financial embarrassments that pile up on his watch undeniably confirm. Their lame protestations that they are certain there is no real problem are hackneyed and unacceptable.

The current economy requires strong and effective management more than ever. Columbia is now a large enough city to have a real, full-time mayor and competent, responsible leadership at the financial controls. We desperately need a competent leader to step forward in the next election to replace Mayberry Bob, and Mr. Austin needs to be replaced at once, before we wake up one morning to an irreparable financial disaster of which no one at city hall had an inkling.

Staples, the national office-supplies chain, declared the Tuesday after July 4 the first official day of the back-to-school shopping season — just like the Friday after Thanksgiving jump-starts the holiday shopping season.

“This is like Christmas to our business,” said Jill Dortch, manager of the Staples store on Decker Boulevard. “The other big retailers depend on Christmas to make or break their year. We count on back-to-school to make or break our year.”

But with a slumping economy facing retailers, getting customers to open their pocketbooks this year may be trickier than a trigonometry quiz.

More parents could scratch off electronics — and even new clothes — from school shopping lists, experts forecast.

Colleges going direct: Despite all the news about turmoil in the student loan markets, Joe and Jane College should be able to find the money they’ll need.

No question it’s been a tough market for financing student loans, and because there are fewer incentives for lenders to offer federally guaranteed loans, 119 outfits have exited or taken breathers from the business in recent months, according to Finaid.org publisher Mark Kantrowitz’s tally.

But financial aid directors are doing everything in their power to ensure that students aren’t left loanless.

The turmoil has renewed interest in the Direct Loan Program run by the federal government.

• Set up as many statement alerts as the company allows, including text messages, e-mail reminders and Web page alerts.

• To ensure that you don’t overlook a payment alert, arrange for your bank account to be automatically drafted — at least for the minimum payment.

• Find out whether your bank allows you to view bills on its site. Many banks, including Wachovia, have such agreements with other companies. That saves the hassle of going from site to site.

• Find out how long the company keeps online bills. If it’s not long enough for you, print a copy.

In Leeds, Ala., M&B Hangers, the only major hanger maker left in the U.S., has doubled its work force and still can’t keep up with demand.

And in Monticello, Wis., a hanger factory once shuttered because of cheap foreign competition has reopened — an about-face worthy of Alice in Wonderland.

Welcome to the latest chapter in the trade tug of war with China: the wire hanger. The twists and turns of this humble piece of steel illustrate how disputes between trade officials thousands of miles apart can ripple through the global economy all the way to your closet.

The tale goes back almost a decade, when Chinese manufacturers started undercutting U.S. producers with cheaper hangers. M&B joined others in charging that China was unfairly subsidizing its own producers and dumping hangers on the U.S. market.

• Know how your stores’ coupon policies work. Ask if they double coupons.

• Wait to use grocery coupons when the item is on sale. You might get the item for free!

• Buy two to three copies of the Sunday newspaper to load up on grocery coupons.

• Be brand-flexible. Buy the brand that’s on sale with a coupon, or get the store brand if it’s less expensive.

• My landlord’s covered. In most cases, a landlord’s insurance covers only structural damage to the building itself — and many landlord policies don’t even go that far if the damage is caused by a tenant. If you leave the tub running and it turns your floor into cardboard and dribbles downstairs, damaging your neighbor’s couch, you may be liable for the whole drippy mess. If your building went up in flames, your landlord’s coverage would include repairs, but only to the building, not to the possessions of tenants.

• It’s out of my price range. Is $10 to $20 per month too much? For lower rates, you can raise the deductible. For more protection, you can pay more for replacement cost coverage where the reimbursement is based on today’s replacement cost rather than original value.

• I’m in a great building and I’m not worried about security. Renters insurance extends beyond on-premise theft and hazards. If your suitcase is stolen while you’re on vacation, you’ll likely be covered. Same with property stolen from your car. If you’re prone to barroom brawls you might need more help than renters insurance, but you’ll probably be covered if you hurt someone. Speaking of injuries, you’ll also likely be protected if someone slips and sprains their ankle at your annual dance-a-thon; you may even receive compensation for legal defense costs in the case of a lawsuit.

• My stuff isn’t really worth much. You might be surprised at how quickly all those books, CDs and kitchen appliances add up.

Amounts below $100,000 are federally insured. But with today’s low interest rates, they don’t pay very much. CD holders are lucky to keep abreast of inflation.

So there’s a lot of interest lately in callable CDs, which may pay up to one-half to 1 percentage point more than the conventional kind. Trouble is, savers run the risk that the issuing bank will yank the CD from them should rates decline. That would force savers to reinvest in lower-yielding instruments.

That doesn’t stop brokers, who sell most of the callable CDs, from pushing them. They argue that this is the perfect time for callable CDs because the Federal Reserve has indicated that it isn’t planning to lower short-term rates in the immediate future. And a good argument exists that it won’t increase them soon, either.

Not surprisingly, callable CDs aren’t everything they’re cracked up to be. For one thing, brokers get a commission for selling them, cutting into the already thin returns. (The quoted rate is after the broker has taken his cut.)

As described by Yahoo in a statement released late Saturday, Microsoft packaged its latest offer with activist investor Carl Icahn, a billionaire who is seeking to overthrow Yahoo's board of directors in a shareholder meeting scheduled for Aug. 1.

Without providing many specifics, Yahoo said Microsoft renewed an earlier bid to buy the company's search engine and proposed turning over the remaining pieces to a board controlled by Icahn.

Yahoo said it received the complex proposal Friday and was given less than 24 hours to respond.

Backed into a corner, Yahoo lashed out in a blunt manner likely to inject even more bad blood into its already venomous relationship with Microsoft and Icahn.

Mostly what struck him, he said, were the fists and knees of Brandon Gaines, his opponent in their mixed martial arts bout in Alexandria, La. “He’s the best I’ve fought to date,” Sawyer said, drawing on his 18-month, five-fight (4-1 record) experience as a professional.

Amid the flurries of punches, kicks and other moves, Sawyer, 34, said he sensed a mutual respect, the recognition of two fighters who take seriously the “art” part of martial arts.

“We complimented each other during the fight, and that’s something you dream about,” Sawyer said. “I hit him in the head and he said, ‘Dude, nice right hand!’ When I tried to grab his legs, he brought up his knees, and I told him, ‘Awesome defense!’”

When the Columbia resident won on a technical knockout in the third of three 5-minute rounds, it was as if he didn’t want the bout to end. In video on YouTube (search for “Steven Storm,” Sawyer’s moniker), Sawyer raises his arms in triumph while manager Sam King bounces up and down in his corner. Then he grabs Gaines’ arm and lifts it, too, as fans cheer.

The year included a seminal moment in the nation’s march toward racial equality.

The play took place on a Saturday afternoon in Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, and it is among the highlights of Doby’s Hall of Fame baseball career.

All three elements struck a chord with Ken Saulter, a teenager selling scorecards at the stadium that day.

Here was Doby, the Camden native who seven years earlier had become the first African-American to play in the American League. On his way to a 32-home run season that helped the Indians win the 1954 pennant, Doby played outstanding defense in center field as well.