The Greenville News from Greenville, South Carolina • Page 27

USC's Scott not happy with players id Lending rates will be rising again Blue laws Rules on Sunday hours a thing IT of oast in Greenville BELOW bs.uuiiyriv Willis says nude scene no sweat 1B ymr fn rsx (HIS sx WEATHER Showers JKKffi it SMI GTfflSM Dd DLngjE(o)lTD 35 injured; businesses and homes wrecked I rrJ 11 .1 7 fc efr Tf B'r. 111 1 v. iVX'vfat'- Storms spawned by Beryl By Tim Smith And April Moorefield-Lucas Staff writers A fast-moving storm system swept across South Carolina Tuesday spawning in its path a tornado that struck downtown Lexington, injuring at least 35 people and damaging scores of businesses and homes. "I was in a little bit of awe," said Jerry Buchleitner, a Bi-lo employee who had just driven into the parking lot at the Village Square Shopping Center as the funnel cloud approached. Buchleitner helped the store manager herd about 70 employees and customers into the meat lockers as the funnel cloud ripped off most of the roof, shattered the front panes of glass and sent shards flying across the checkout lines.

"It was a miracle nobody got hit by anything," he said. The same storm, spawned by the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl, hit a 150-employee Glass-master Co. monofilament plant in Lexington County at 1:15 p.m. and leapfrogged over a crowded nursing home, officials said. It flipped a car on Interstate 20, but the driver emerged unhurt, and the people trapped in wrecked stores were freed with only minor injuries.

"It came through real fast," Lexington County Sheriff James Metts said. The sheriff said that at nightfall 15,000 homes and businesses were without power and full restoration of service was unlikely before Wednesday. Gov. Carroll Campbell declared a state of emergency and activated 100 military police troops from the Army National Guard. They helped cordon off ravaged commercial areas near downtown Lexington and hard-hit suburban developments as night fell.

Up to 50 buildings were destroyed or damaged in the town, officials said. Campbell was headed to a conference out West when he turned around to come survey the destruction, arriving in Lexington after 8 p.m. He assessed the damage to be in the of millions of dollars." "This is just an enormous loss," Campbell said. "I thank God we don't have a lot of people dead." Campbell said he would seek federal disaster assistance within 24 hours. "When you see a family that has lost tneir home, and their clothes are all wet, it makes all of this real.

All of this has a human face," he said. An indication of what lay ahead in the day began about 12:30 p.m. See Tornado, Page 12A iii Ave. in Lexington after tornado touched down Tuesday People get up-close look at nature's power N.C. Oconee town weathers water woes By Allen Bowie Oconee Bureau WESTMINSTER Water was in abundance everywhere except Westminster faucets Tuesday.

Hundreds of people braved unrelenting rain to meet National Guard personnel dispatched to bring fresh water to the city after flooding forced officials to shut down Westminster's main water treatment plant. Heavy rains caused a silt and mud build-up around pumping facilities at the Chauga River, and the treatment facility was closed about 3 a.m. Tuesday. With City Hall in the northwestern Oconee County town transformed into a command post, officials coordinated efforts to bring in water for some 3,000 customers of the system. Early in the afternoon, Foun-tainhead, an Atlanta-based water bottling company, donated 11,800 half-liter bottles of water for distribution.

Westminster residents including Deborah Mack could be seen disappearing under one of two giant tents set up at the Westminster Depot and Westminster Middle School, where 990 cases were rationed two to a family. "I've got a little baby at home, and we need water for the formula," she said, taking her two bottles and hurrying back through the rain to her car. Eight National Guard trucks, each equipped to dispense about 400 gallons of water, arrived Tuesday afternoon. People who get their water from the Westminster Commission of Public Works had some water left in their pipes. But an advisory was issued to boil the water for a full five minutes for drinking or cooking.

That advisory was expected to remain in effect Wednesday, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. "We've got plenty of water. It's just that none of it is treated," said Westminster Mayor Ted Phillips. "It doesn't look like it's going to be any better tomorrow." The National Guard will continue distributing water at the Westminster Depot on Main Street and at Westminster Middle School on State 183 from 6 a.m. to noon Wednesday.

Residents should bring their own containers to receive water from the National Guard trucks, off icials said. Rain may continue Wednesday, mostly cloudy, with a 70 percent chance of thunderstorms. High in the lower 80s. Pagel4A. Four sections, 52 Pages Abby 2B A.

Atkinson 3B Bigar's stars 9B Bridge 9B Business 7D Classifieds 12B Crossword 9B Cryptoq'te 9B Comics 8B Dividends 9D Donohue 2B Editorial 4A Food 1B Health 2A Jumble 9B Metals 10D Obituaries 4C P. Watch 1B Pickens Oconee 1C S.C. Mrkts 9D Sports 1D Television 4B Theaters 10B 120th year Issue No. 219 I People walk down Columbia Beryl's path Bamberg Co. 12:30 p.m.: Funnel reported, one person injured.

Orangeburg Co. 12:30 p.m.: Tornado touched down in Neeses. 0 Richland Co. 1:30 p.m.: Tornadoes reported near McEntire Air National Guard Base. Union Co.

p.m.: Five tornadoes reported. 0 Cherokee Co. 4 p.m.: Santuck, 3 funnel clouds on ground. Soartanbura i Co. 4:45 p.m.: Damage in Pauline.

5:15 p.m.: of Cowpens, damage. 5:25 p.m. Touchdown damage between Pacolet and Cowpens. 0 Cherokee 7:30 p.m.: Lexington Co. 1:15 p.m.: Tornado traps people in shopping center West with STAFF BILL KALIS at huge metal doors.

Davis said he scrambled to a nearby bathroom, where other employees crowded in fear. Across the build ing, Henry Brig-g a a lab operator, started running when he heard the roof rumble. "I looked at one wall, and all I saw was daylight, and I thought, 'This is it. It scared the hell out of By the time the rumbling stopped a minute later, the plant's warehouse next to the building where Briggman and Davis worked was a shambles of sheet metal, boxes, steel beams and thousands of empty spools. The walls in the building where Briggman and Davis worked were peeled like a tuna can, sending twisted strips of metal onto yards, powerlines and businesses nearby.

See Nature, Page 1 1 A Photos on Pages 11A, 12A Co. Blacksburg, one funnel cloud reported. TENN. r-f' Atlanta ALA. GA.

I Atlantic Expected rainfall Ocean I 1 to 2 Inches I 133 2 to 4 Inches 1 BSS 4 or more 'c TENN- Atlanta S.C. 1 MISS. ALA. Qk Mocatoandpafftj By Tim Smith Staff writer LEXINGTON Jarrell Smith was helping unload a delivery Tuesday at his father's antiques store outside Lexington when he suddenly noticed the dark skies and swirling debris above. Seconds later, he and his father were lying on the store's floor praying that the tornado overhead would spare them as it rained sheet metal, trees and leaves.

"I thought the roof was coming off," he said. Throughout Lexington, survivors counted themselves lucky to be alive Tuesday night after witnessing the fickle nature of a twister that injured dozens and cut a hopskotch patch between Interstate 20 and Lake Murray. A quarter mile from the Smith's antiques shop, where the tornado's swath began, 60-70 employees at Glassmaster's fishing line plant took cover. Greg Davis, a machine operator, was trying to figure out why his machine's power had stopped when he noticed a giant pounding vacuum. The comments drew sharp criticism from Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce President Richard Blouse who said statewide development was a worthy goal, but Riley's strategy was a "lose, lose" proposition for South Carolina and the Upstate.

"That ought to get him a lot of friends up in the Upstate," Blouse said. "That's totally ridiculous." See Riley, Page 9A Source: Acou-Weather BLUE LAWS A thing of the past in Greenville Riley would direct development to other areas of South Carolina APKRTSTAFF al counties and that he would direct resources to other parts of the state. "For the past eight years, the governor and lieutenant governor have been from Greenville and look at where the goods have gone," Riley said. "The proof is in the pudding and the pudding's all in one bowl." Riley said that as governor he would invest in roads and utility services and recruit businesses to rural areas "left in an economic By Walter Woods Business writer Blue laws that have ruled Sunday store hours for generations are now a thing of the past in Greenville County. The state laws closing retailers until the Sunday churcn sermons are over have been knocked out of Greenville County by a boost in the county's hotel tax revenue, the county's attorney said Tuesday.

That doesn't mean you can buy alcohol on Sunday, officials said. But now, as County Attorney Judith Burk put it, "Most any retailer can sell anything anytime on Sunday." Some local ministers contacted Tuesday regretted the change and Greenville merchants said competition could induce them to extend their Sunday hours. State blue laws prevent the sale of most retail items, including clothes, cars and appliances, before 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. The See Blue laws, Page 9A The pudding is all in one Riley says of Upstate economic development.

By William Fox Capital Bureau COLUMBIA Democratic candidate for governor Joseph Riley said Tuesday that economic development has been steered to the Upstate at the expense of rur.