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The river and its fans have been suffering since a sewage spill was discovered July 29. The river was declared safe Friday.

On Saturday, the 10 miles of river below the Lake Murray dam was hopping.

The good times started at the northernmost public access point, Saluda Shoals Park, and flowed down to the Gervais Street bridge.

THE PARK

That’s the message in a new, national advertising campaign targeted at meeting planners and tourists that will debut this week.

The campaign also pegs Columbia and the Midlands as “The New Southern Hot Spot.”

The executive committee of the Midlands Authority for Conventions, Sports and Tourism gave its thumbs-up on Friday. If the full board approves it Tuesday, the campaign will replace “Riverbanks Region: Where Friendliness Flows.”

“We’re excited about it,” authority chairman John Durst said. “And we’re looking forward to sharing our excitement with our colleagues.”

Volunteer groups picked up everything from empty bottles and cigarette butts to bits of fireworks and empty food wrappers, filling hundreds of trash bags.

Eleven sanitation trucks, each capable of carrying nearly three tons of debris, were on standby to haul away the trash at the end of the event.

The city is focused on North Columbia because there have been more than 250 serious crimes reported in the area in the past three years.

The cleanup gave North Columbia residents a chance to learn more about their neighbors.

Letters sent to the state Department of Corrections by the Legislative Audit Council accuse Corrections director John Ozmint of tainting a planned survey of prison system employees.

In a newsletter and e-mail sent to Corrections employees in mid-June, Ozmint criticized the Audit Council’s plan for a survey of prison system employees, calling it a “one-sided” attempt to blame administrators for the prison system’s woes.

Subsequently, the Audit Council scrapped its plan to survey prison system employees, saying Ozmint’s comments had rendered any results invalid.

The state prison system has been underscrutiny since last summer. That was when a state Senate panel began looking into allegations that included:

When Paula Hite won a seat 12 years ago on the Lexington-Richland 5 school board, she was a mother of three who wanted to do good in her community.

It didn’t turn out to be easy.

School board members bickered, superintendents failed, bond proposals folded and a faction of citizens lambasted the board at nearly every turn.

“It takes a toll on you,” she said. “You get beat up a bit when you’re trying to do your very best.”

The Illinois senator has made highly publicized claims about sending paid staff members to lead campaign efforts in each state. While some had speculated that Obama offices in rigidly Republican states might merely be a ploy to raise money or to support efforts in swing states, S.C. Democratic Party executive director Jay Parmley made no mention of working for North Carolina or any other state in an address to the Beach Dems.

“We are far more energized and far more excited than Republicans,” Parmley said. “There’s not any reason South Carolina can’t turn blue.”

In South Carolina, President George W. Bush beat Al Gore and John Kerry by wide margins in 2000 and 2004 — about 16 points and 250,000 votes. In the 1990s, however, Bill Clinton lost his two elections by much closer margins — 5 points and 69,000 votes in 1996, and 9 points and 98,000 votes in 1992.

Those figures, Parmley said, can be overcome by registering new voters and making sure they vote. In the black community, Parmley said various estimates show between 50,000 and 250,000 voting-age adults who are not registered.

Since he began July 1, Richland 1 superintendent Percy Mack has been doing a lot of listening.

Along the way, he said he has discovered there are “a lot of people very open, very committed to change.”

“The No. 1 goal is to improve academic achievement,” Mack, who was recruited from the Dayton, Ohio, public school system, said this week.

The months ahead will be key for Richland 1, with a priority being lifting five underperforming schools, at risk for state takeover, out of an academic torpor.

An estimate of new infections was revealed in a new analysis for 2006, parts of which were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week in Mexico City at the XVII International Conference on AIDS.

About 900 South Carolinians are estimated to have been newly infected with HIV in 2006 — only slightly more than the number of actual cases diagnosed that year.

It is the first time South Carolina has a direct estimate of new infections in the state, rather than just actual diagnoses.

Not everyone who is infected is diagnosed, so having a good estimate of those newly infected helps with planning. As it turns out, the numbers public health officials use are relatively good.

Burnett Joiner is now dean of graduate programs and continuing education. He had been vice president for academic affairs.

Stacey Jones is now vice president for institutional effectiveness and sponsored programs. Jones had been dean of the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and vice president for sponsored programs and research.

Gary Knight is now vice president for student affairs. Knight had been vice president for institutional effectiveness.

David Whaley is now associate dean of the School of Education. Whaley had been vice president for student affairs.

Aiken residents Samuel and Nadine Thomas said goodbye to gas stations a couple of years ago. The couple purchased a 2002 General Electric Motorcar (GEM) in late 2006 and now drive it almost everywhere they go.

At the time Thomas found himself interested in the GEM, it was purely from an energy aspect, but he has found the savings incomprehensible as gas prices have climbed, setting records this year. As a retired engineer, Thomas said he is always looking for new energy-saving methods, and the GEM captured his attention.

As gas prices increased this year, the Thomases frequently heard people ask about the operating cost of the electric vehicle. They called Aiken Electric to see if a monitoring device existed. Lawrence Baker, vice president of the company, searched and found a power monitoring device for the Thomases to borrow.

A meter plugs into the outlet, and the GEM is then plugged into the meter. The amount of energy accumulated is recorded in the device.

Many are eliminating Friday classes from their traditional Monday-Wednesday-Friday school weeks, or crafting schedules that allow students to come to campus only one day a week. Schools also are opening more satellite offices so students don’t have to drive as far and increasing online courses that mean no drives at all.

“It is a big help. Gas prices are through the roof,” said Bridget Morton, an 18-year-old freshman planning a nursing career with the help of Northeastern Technical College. Schedule changes at the Cheraw school mean one less 30-mile round-trip from her home in Chesterfield each week.

And that’s a skate of a ride compared with what Melissa Pate had last year. She’d drive 100 miles round trip a couple of times a week from her Fort Lawn home, then to work and then to classes tied to a nursing program at York Technical College.

York Tech shortened its weekly schedule in 2006 as gas prices hit $2.77 for a gallon of regular, which meant Pate only had to commute two days a week instead of three. “Without that, I wouldn’t have been able to afford to go to school,” she said.

With same-sex marriage now legal in California even to nonresidents and Massachusetts extending its 4-year-old gay-marriage policy to out-of-staters, in-wedlock parenting is suddenly a realistic option for gays and lesbians nationwide, even if their home state won’t recognize the union.

Fertility clinics and surrogacy programs report increased interest from gay men, while couples who already have children are getting married — or considering it — to provide more security for those kids.

“We wanted our daughter to know her parents were married; that was the big thing for us,” said Tommy Starling of Pawleys Island, S.C., who wed his partner of 12 years, Jeff Littlefield, July 11 in Hollywood.

Among those at the ceremony was their daughter, Carrigan, who was born in California two years ago.

“Being 99 percent honest is no longer enough.”

— Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards, announcing Friday he had an extramarital affair while he was seeking the Democratic nomination for president. Edwards had been dogged by tabloid reports and rumors of an affair and a love child. Edwards admitted the affair but denied being the child’s father.

THE WEEK AHEAD

Tuesday — S.C. Budget and Control Board meets at 10 a.m. on the first floor of the Wade Hampton Building.

The Buzz has given as much grief to Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer as anybody — you may have heard something about receiving no tickets for driving 101 mph — but, nonetheless, The Buzz truly was impressed with Bauer’s safety-first ethic last week.

While driving, Bauer called The Buzz, only to immediately cut the conversation short. It seems Bauer needed to first activate the wireless Bluetooth connection for his cell phone.

A few moments later, Bauer called The Buzz back and conducted a much safer, hands-free interview.

• Paris Hilton as politician: hot!

FEARRINGTON VILLAGE, N.C. — For 45 years, it has generated speculation and wild rumors of missile silos, UFOs and odd columns of smoke.

Now one of the nation’s most secretive Cold War installations — a giant underground bunker built into a hilltop now flanked by some of fast-growing northern Chatham County’s most genteel subdivisions — has apparently closed.

The department-store-size bunker was built and buried in the early and mid-1960s. From its massive steel and concrete blast doors down to its spring-mounted urinals, the AT&T facility was designed to survive a nearby atomic blast.

Neighbors of the site said traffic to and from it had slowed to a trickle in recent months and stopped altogether last week after a stream of trucks hauled away sensitive equipment. The owner of a Pittsboro trucking company said he hauled out what was apparently the last load about two weeks ago, taking some of the equipment to other AT&T sites.

His outings often include gathering with fellow boaters to anchor and tie their vessels together to create a floating patio.

“It’s like having a cookout, only we do it on the water,” Langlois said.

Joining a raft-up is a laid-back way of enjoying the lake.

The camaraderie that spurs those gathering often occurs spontaneously.

Coach Charlotte Giese, 50, a former All-American swimmer at the University of South Carolina, paces the deck.

“Eight 50s through the strokes on one-ten,” she calls to swimmers in the water. “Ready, go!”

Translation: Do eight 50-meter lengths of the pool. One minute 10 seconds each. Each time, change strokes: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, free.

No rest.

If only it were that simple.

River advocates have been trying to get it done for years, with little success. Recent problems with one of those plants polluted the river so much that state officials warned people to stay out of the water for eight days.

“We kept fighting and fighting and fighting for it,” said Freddy Vang, who retired last year as director of the S.C. Department of Natural Resources water division. “It’s not rocket science that when you’ve got small plants with nobody at them, something’s going to happen.”

In the past five years, more than 976,000 gallons of untreated waste have spilled from seven small Saluda River plants or the pipes running from subdivisions to the plants, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Samuel Odom, 17, died at the scene from head trauma, Fairfield County Deputy Coroner Barkley Ramsey said. He was not wearing a seat belt.

Odom was a passenger in a 2001 Dodge pickup traveling on St. Barnabus Church Road when the accident happened. Both the driver and another passenger were injured and taken to area hospitals.

Families already are feeling pinched by rising gas and food costs. Add the expense of sending a kid off to college and something has to bend.

As a result, this year’s crop of college students are cutting back on gear for their dorms, or dipping into their summer job earnings to pay for extras such as televisions and decorations.

Students such as Mark Owens, a 19-year-old sophomore at Benedict College, are learning to bargain-hunt. “Now that I’m in college, one of my favorite grocery stores is the Family Dollar,” he said.

The National Retail Federation expects back-to-college spending to drop 7 percent this season with the average person spending about $599. The NRF reports students are cutting back on electronics, clothes and furnishings.

Barnwell attorney Miles Loadholt was elected the board’s chairman Friday, and Lake Wylie businessman Samuel Foster II is the new vice chairman.

Mitchem takes over for Cleveland Sellers Jr., who left in April to become president of Voorhees College.

Mitchem has been a religious and women’s studies professor at USC since 2005.

Coles served three years as superintendent of the 23,000-student district. He left the district in June after the Richland 1 board voted not to renew his contract.

Mr. Gunter, widower of Barbara Gunter, died Wednesday, August 6, 2008. Born in Orangeburg, he was the son of the late, Thomas Ezekial and Ida Mae Williams Gunter. He was a lifetime area resident. Mr. Gunter retired after 14 years as a sheet metal supervisor with Cullum Construction, Inc. He enjoyed fishing and boating.

Surviving are his daughter and son-in-law, Tammy and Chad Woodward of St. Mary’s, PA; sons and daughters-in-law, Donnie R. and Ann Gunter of West Columbia, Kenneth and Michelle Gunter of London, KY; ten grandchildren; brother, Kenneth Gunter of San Antonio, TX; and a sister, Shirley Berry of Swansea.

www.thompsonsfuneral.com

«Obituary posted: August 10, 2008»

Mrs. Green passed away Friday, August 8, 2008, after an extended illness. Born October 13, 1936 in Hopewell Junction, N.Y., she was the daughter of Marion Walsh Goulette and the late William T. Goulette. After graduating with Honors from Pine Plains High School, N.Y., she enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps and served as a nurse in Labor and Delivery from 1955-1957, receiving an Honorable Discharge. It was during her service in 1956 that she met and married her husband. Mrs. Green chose to devote the rest of her life supporting her husband in his long military career and founding a loving and nurturing home in which to raise their five children. Mrs. Green was a woman of strong conviction and faith and loved serving her Lord and helping others. She was a faithful wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She will be dearly missed by all.

Surviving are her loving and devoted husband of 52 years, James T. Green, Sr.; children, James T. Green, Jr., Teresa M. Walker, Deborah J. McNair (Hank), William H. Green and Elizabeth J. Brazell (Tim), all of West Columbia, SC; her mother, Marion Walsh Goulette of Watertown, WI; sisters Joan Perry of Conway, SC; Kathleen Goulette of Johnson Creek, WI; Nancy Boruck of Milwaukie, OR; brother Robert J. Goulette of Tampa, FL; twelve grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

The family wishes to express there deepest appreciation for the many prayers and acts of kindness and a special thank you to the staffs of Harmony Hospice and Amedisys Home Health for their compassion and care.

www.caughmanharmanfuneralhome.com

Born in Springfield, she was a daughter of the late Jessie J. and Julia Garrick Sanford and was a life long resident of Springfield, SC. She was active in the Springfield town politics, served as acting Mayor Pro tem and City Council for a number of years and was a member of First Baptist Church of Springfield. Mrs. Kittrell was the last surviving member of her immediate family. She was a loving person who will be missed by her family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband Pete Kittrell; three brothers, Hydrick, Lothair and Derward Sanford and six sisters Dessie Salley, Caroline Corbett Schoenberg, Novie Moreman, Dollie Gunter, Virginia Kittrell and Debbie Hill.

Visit our on-line registry at www.folkfuneralhome.com.

«Obituary posted: August 10, 2008»

Willis Lynn Johnson, 66, of Swansea, died Thursday, August 7, 2008 at the Ascension Hospice in Irmo, SC. Born April 3, 1942 in Harnet County, NC, he was a son of the late Willis Floyd Johnson and the Late Maude Elizabeth Adams Johnson. Lynn graduated high school in North Carolina and had worked as a construction supervisor.

Survivors include his wife, Donna Alese Harden Johnson of Swansea; stepsons, Marty Williams of Rock Hill, SC, John Chute of Swansea, SC; brother and sister-in-law, Harold and Jackie Johnson of Bunn Level, NC; sister, Barbara Neighbors, also of Bunn Level, NC; five grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren and one special friend, Shelly Gross of Swansea, SC.

Please visit SouthCarolinaCremation.com to leave a note for the Johnson family.

«Obituary posted: August 10, 2008»

«Obituary posted: August 10, 2008»

Surviving are his mother, Kari Pepper of Chapin; father and step-mother, James Thomas and Sherri Pepper of Chapin; his brothers, Jeffrey Pepper, Tyler Pittman and Carson Hicks; sister, Bethany Pittman; grandparents, Mark and Caroline Owens of Prestonsburg, Ky., Joan Pepper of Massapequa, N.Y., Jim and Sally Pepper of Bolton Landing, N.Y., Billy and Dottie Dudley of Virginia Beach, Va., and Rosella and Gene Johnson of Lebanon, Ind.; great-grandmothers, Inez Owens and Pauline Wiedmar; aunts and uncles, Jesse and Jennifer Pepper, Jennifer and Joseph Kielb, Walter and Vicky Owens, Nat and Barb Owens, Dan and Kim Lott and John Mantooth; and numerous cousins.

«Obituary posted: August 10, 2008»

Ms. Atkinson died Friday, August 8, 2008. Born in Hartsville, SC, she was a daughter of the late Melvin Joseph and Mona Smith Atkinson. She was a graduate of Hartsville High School and Francis Marion University.

She served the students of Florence School District One by teaching at Wilson High School in the Science Department for 35 years. She loved her subject and her students. Her enthusiasm was reflected in her creative teaching style.

She also served the school in other capacities. She was a regular season judge for the Wilson Academic Team and a tournament judge at the Pee Dee Regional Tournament Competition at Francis Marion University. She was also the “Community Bunny.” She took minutes at meetings, kept up with birthdays, and sent out announcements.

Her passion was cheerleading. She was a devoted coach at Wilson High School for 29 years. She was a founding member of the South Carolina Cheerleading Coaches Association. She was secretary on the executive board for 19 years. In 2006, she was awarded the Non-Competitive Coach of the Year by the South Carolina Cheerleading Coaches Association. She was a skilled cook and was a devoted part-time employee at Chick-Fil-A for 25 years.

«Obituary posted: August 10, 2008»

Ms. Sanders, born June 16, 1953, in Tokyo, Japan, passed away Friday, August 8, 2008. She was a daughter of Tom and Catherine Sanders.

Ms. Sanders is survived by her parents; sisters, Karen S. Brockway (Stephen) of Greenville, SC, and Theresa K. Dennis; brothers, John Sanders (Cathy) of Gilbert, James Sanders of Indianapolis, IN, Richard Sanders of Moody, AL; nieces and nephews, Michelle Marshall, Patrick and Justin Dennis, Tarah Sanders, Christina Sanders, Lucy and Tabitha Sanders; great-nieces and nephews, Trystan and Alexander Eubanks. The family would like to thank Harmony Care Hospice for their loving care of Linda.

www.caughmanharmanfuneralhome.com

«Obituary posted: August 10, 2008»

Mr. Taylor, born in Gilbert, SC, September 21, 1949, passed away Friday, August 8, 2008. He was the son of Lula Harmon Taylor and the late Ensalee J. Taylor. Mr. Taylor was a member of Crossroads Baptist Church. He was employed at Cooper Power Tools for 25 years. “Buddy” “loved to shop.” He enjoyed making flower arrangements and sharing them as gifts. He loved antiques and historic architecture. Mr. Taylor loved animals. He was a humble, quiet and gentle man.

Mr. Taylor is survived by his mother of Gilbert; daughter, Melissa E. Taylor and son, Christopher L. Taylor of Gilbert; grandson, Christian John Taylor and granddaughter, Tiara Destiny Taylor. “Buddy” was a devoted father and grandfather who will be deeply missed by all who knew him..

www.caughmanharmanfuneralhome.com

«Obituary posted: August 10, 2008»

Mr. Ellis, 89, who worked as an engineer for DuPont from 1940 until 1982, died August 8 at the McLeod Hospice House. He had congestive heart failure and complications from diabetes.

Mr. Ellis was born in Corinth, Mississippi, and attended Mississippi State University, where he majored in electrical engineering. His lifelong passion for music began here when he managed and played in the Mississippi State Cadets dance band. He recruited and subsequently married the band’s lead singer, his wife of 67 years, Neal. He played the trumpet and the piano, was an accomplished arranger, and subsequently participated in bands and singing groups everywhere he went.

Mr. Ellis joined DuPont immediately after his graduation in 1940. During World War II he was assigned to the top-secret Manhattan Project, the purpose of which was to develop the atomic bomb. He worked at the Hanford facility in Richland, Washington, where the plutonium for the bombs was produced.

He believed in the importance of giving back something to the communities where he lived, and he did so at each of the stops in his career with DuPont.

Survivors are his loving wife, Ruth Turner Lindsey of Locust Grove; children, Bill and Peggy Lindsey of Columbia, SC, Teri and Jack Woodford of Yorktown, VA; grandchildren, Chad Lindsey of Columbia, Brigette Lindsey of Charleston, and Michele Woodford of Yorktown, VA; sister, Helen White of North Carolina and sister-in-law, Lorene Lindsey of Locust Grove; several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services for Newton Lindsey will be 11:00 a.m. Monday, August 11, 2008, at the Locust Grove United Methodist Church with Rev. Doug Gilreath officiating. Interment will be in the Locust Grove Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Sunday evening.

For those who wish, in lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Locust Grove UMC Bus Fund, P.O. Box 277, Locust Grove, GA 30248 or NAMI SC, P.O. Box 1267, Columbia, SC 29202.

Haisten Funeral Home-McDonough

He was born May 2nd, 1934, in Brooklyn, NY. His treasures and survivors were his loving wife, Janis; sister, Dr. Elena (Steven) Eisman of Boston, MA; children, Keith (Jackie) Eisman of Brick, NJ, Andrew (Cindy) Eisman of Framingham, MA, Wayne (Joanna) Eisman of New Jersey, Jerri M. Carla and husband, Jim, of Florida, and Amanda Eisman of South Carolina; his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Gerald was a pharmacist for 53 years. He always had a smile for his customers. His variety of humorous ties expressed his character. He graduated from St. Johns University. One of his many passions was writing. Gerald was an established author to include the novel “An American Mosaic,” and several articles for pharmaceutical magazines.

He was a member of Seacoast Church and a member of numerous writing groups. He loved to travel, collect art, and was the owner with his wife, Janis, of J&J Professional Pet Sitting Services.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Leukemia Society of America, 1311 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY 10605 or Pets Inc., 300 Orchard Drive, Box 6394, West Columbia, SC 29171.

Born December 9, 1921, in Baldwinsville, NY, she was a daughter of the late Carl and Annabelle Michels Lynch, Sr. She was a retired school bus driver.

Surviving are a son, Raymond Racha of Loveland, CO; four daughters, Joyce Roy of Chittenango, NY, Donna Erickson of Summerton, Lorraine Faulds and Christina Zwisle, both of Columbia; twelve grandchildren; and a number of great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a son, Rex Allen Racha.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 Monday evening at Stephens Funeral Home in Manning.

Born in Saluda County and a son of the late John and Mary Padgett Kirkland, he was the husband of Martha Jean Hawkins Kirkland. Mr. Kirkland was owner of Kirkland Construction.

Surviving are his wife, Martha Jean Hawkins Kirkland; a daughter and son-in-law, Jackie K. and Jeff Harmon of Leesville; a son and daughter-in-law, Joe Patrick and Deborah Kirkland of North Augusta; three sisters, Edith Repp of Columbus, Ohio, Nellie Ruth Boozer of Prosperity and Marie O’Karma of Norcross, GA; seven grandchildren, Scott Harmon, Dylan Harmon, Coleton Harmon, Gideon Kirkland, Patrick Kirkland, Sierra McKeithen and Jacob McKeithen and two great-grandchildren, Ashton and Noah.

The family will receive friends from 4 until 6 Sunday evening at Ramey Funeral Home.

The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, August 11, 2008, at Ramey Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow in Hickory Grove Advent Christian Church Cemetery.

Ms. Gray was born September 1, 1973, in Columbia and passed away Thursday, August 7, 2008. She was a daughter of Wesley E. and Gayle Knight Gray. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Columbia. Ms. Gray was a caring and compassionate respiratory therapist. She was so very loving and cared deeply for her patients, especially the elderly, her family, her friends and her dog, Bullet.

Ms. Gray is survived by her parents; her sisters, Loree and Lizabeth of California; aunts and uncles, Julian and Linda Cumbee of Orangeburg and Jan and Linda Knight of Columbia. She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Wesley E. and Janie M. Gray, and T.C. and Loyree Knight; uncle and aunt, Jimmy and Dorothy Parker and uncle, Larry Gray.

www.caughmanharmanfuneralhome.com

«Obituary posted: August 9, 2008»

«Obituary posted: August 9, 2008»

Wake services will be Sunday, August 10, 2008, at the Reid Chapel AME Church, 704 Gabriel St., Columbia, SC, from 3 to 5 p.m. Homegoing services will be Monday, August 11, 2008, at the Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church, Conway, SC, 11:00 a.m., with burial in the Sandridge Community Cemetery.

Mrs. Williams was the youngest child born to the late Samuel and Lula Rice in Georgetown County. She was a member of Hemingway Chapel AME Church in Conway, SC. The past three years she was living in Columbia, SC, with her daughter and was a member of the Reid Chapel AME Church. She attended the Palmetto Senior Day Care facility in White Rock.

Surviving: three daughters, Genevieve (James) Alford, Conway, SC, Christine Williams, Irvington, NJ, Vermell (Michael) Salley, Columbia, SC; two sons, Iva Lee (Linda) Williams, Conway, SC, and Randy E. Williams, Romulus, MI; 1 godmother, Channie Lee Adams and 1 goddaughter, Edna (Wilbur) Dewitt; two sisters, Agnes Darby, Prince George Nursing Home, Georgetown, and Lila Myers, Harnden, CT; 16 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins. Mrs. Williams was predeceased by her husband, Eugene Sr. and three children, Eugene, Vernell and Eugene Jr. The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to Dr. Winston McIver Jr. of Conway, SC, and to the Palmetto Senior Day Care Staff of White Rock for the caring of “Ms. Geneva.”

McKiever Funeral Home, Inc. of Conway is in charge.

She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Jerry A. Satterfield, Sr.; her daughter, Susan Satterfield Ryan and her husband Michael J. Ryan of Locust Grove, Ga.; son, Jay A. Satterfield and his wife Nan Williams Satterfield of Milan, Tenn.; brother, Haskell Mannings Yenny, Jr. and his wife Pat Pound Yenny of Irmo, S.C.; and sister, Kay F. Yenny, also of Irmo. Shelby had four grandchildren who were the delight of her life: Janon Satterfield of Trenton, Tenn., Caleb Benton Satterfield, of Milan, Tenn., Camille Hope Hankins and Coleman Justice Ryan of Locust Grove, Ga. Additionally, she is survived by many beloved nieces and nephews. She was grandmother to several “adopted” grandchildren from her congregation, St. Andrews Road Church of Christ. She was predeceased by her father, mother and her brother, John Edward Yenny.

Shelby loved fiercely and enjoyed a life overflowing with friends, family, and Christian brothers and sisters. “Our family is heartbroken at the sudden loss of the woman who was our smile and heart.”

Funeral services will be held Sunday at 4 p.m. at the St. Andrews Road Church of Christ, 425 St. Andrews Road, Columbia. Visitation will be Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the church prior to the service.

Memorials may be made to Southeastern Childrens Home, 115 Childrens Way, Duncan, SC 29334.

«Obituary posted: August 9, 2008»

People prefer to be with people like themselves. For all the celebration of “diversity,” it’s sameness that dominates. Most people favor friendships with those who share similar backgrounds, interests and values. It makes for more shared experiences, easier conversations and more comfortable silences. Despite many exceptions, the urge is nearly universal. It’s human nature.

Then ask yourself this question: Is this true for you?

What Mr. Samuelson is saying is accepted as gospel, as an “of course,” by so many people. And you can find all sorts of evidence to back it up, from whitebread suburbs to Jeremiah Wright’s church to the book that inspired the column, The Big Sort by Bill Bishop.

Here’s my problem with that: I don’t know any people “like me,” in the sense under discussion here. I don’t have a group of people who look and act and think like me with whom to identify, with the possible exception of my own close family, and in some respects that’s a stretch — we may look alike and in some cases have similar temperaments, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to being alike in, say, political views.

Maybe I am missing the point here. Mayor Bob Coble says, “It’s a goal of the city that all of our citizens are going to benefit from taxpayer contracts.” I don’t see how that is possible in the case of Mainline Contracting. You are denying his bid because he failed to hire subcontractors based on race or gender (which I thought was illegal), which will cost the city an extra $1 million. How does that benefit the taxpayer? I always thought getting the lowest bid and saving money was good for the taxpayer.

Secondly, if you force contractors to hire subs based purely on race or gender, how can you be sure the city is getting the best possible workmanship for the money? Won’t it cost taxpayers more money in the long run if the work has to be done over again or if the contractor fails to finish on time (not that this would ever happen in Columbia)? I fail to see how this policy gives the best benefit to all taxpayers. It seems to me to be another shining example of poor money management by city government.

CHUCK KNOWLES

Columbia

Hint: If a pot of gold pops up on the Power Point, hold onto your 401(k).

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority is urging human resources professionals to do their research before allowing financial professionals to conduct a seminar at the company cafeteria or conference room.

Unfortunately, some bad actors have taken advantage of workers. One case involved a group of ExxonMobil Corp. employees in Baton Rouge, La. The blue-collar workers found themselves without jobs — and they lost huge nest eggs — after getting talked into retiring early by David L. McFadden, who held seminars for Exxon employees in the late 1990s.

He claimed they could afford to retire early by trading in their pensions for lump-sum payouts and liquidating assets in their 401 (k) plans — and investing with him.

LowerMyBills.com (www.lowermybills.com): Click “Phone & Internet” to explore cell phone and plans, long distance service and Web phone service.

National Consumers League (www.nclnet.org/utilities/communications/phone.htm): Covers what you need to know when shopping for telephone service.

PhoneRateFinder.com (www.phoneratefinder.com): Features various service rate comparison searches.

WirelessGuide.com (www.wirelessguide.org): Offers tips for shopping for cell phones and wireless plans.

The site, responsibleshopper.org, already was getting about 2 million visits a year — enough to get the attention of any company. Now, with the enhancements, program director Todd Larson said he hopes visits will increase to 3 million.

Larson said the mission is simple: Expose corporate abuses and enlist consumers to help clean up corporations.

“The No. 1 goal was to create the Web’s most powerful one-stop information resource for concerned consumers,” Larson said.

ResponsibleShopper rates more than 150 companies, including big names such as Wal-Mart, Exxon, Disney, Hanes, General Electric and Coca-Cola.