The Greenville News from Greenville, South Carolina • Page 1

RUNNING TO SUPER BOWL Ground game pits Falcons' strength THE END OF CHEAPER GAS? Decrease in driving may fuel gas-tax increase 4A against Cardinals' weakness 6B High: 49 WfeaZier, 264 Greenville, South Carolina GreenvilleOnline.com Friday, January 2, 2009 Upstate Edition Me Expoi Numbers drop as economy slows, state starts to roll out tough verification law summer as one of the country's toughest, likely won't be able to control who works for businesses such as a small-shingle contractor or a four-man landscape operation. He said immigration experts tell him they have already seen illegal residents leaving the state. That's probably due as much to the evaporation of construction jobs as to the new law, though there are no hard numbers, said Dr. Doug Woodward, an economics professor who has studied the immigration issue at the University of South Carolina. Meanwhile, the prospect of federal economic stimulus funding for ready-to-go state infrastructure work could soon create a pocket of job growth in the road-and-bridge industry and a dilemma for employers, Woodward said.

"It'll be interesting to see who among our native workers here can pick up the shovel," he said. "These are supposed to be shovel-ready projects, but the peo this week, though state enforcement doesn't begin for another six months and the agency charged with oversight doesn't yet have funding to do it. State Sen. David Thomas said the law, touted last eludes Gamecocks, Tigers Bowl glory 1 BART BOATWRIGHT Staff Clemson's DeAndre McDaniel dives into the end zone after returning a fumble 28 yards. Clemson's last drive falls short By Ben Szobody Staff Writer bszobody greenvillenews.com A new law to prevent employers from hiring illegal immigrants may have triggered an exodus before it went into limited effect NATION WORLD Iraq takes control The U.S.

transferred control of the Green Zone and Saddam Hussein's former palace to the Iraqi authorities. 12A Taliban kills 21 Taliban militants ambushed a group of police as they ate lunch in southern Afghanistan, killing 20 and the mother of one as she pleaded unsuccessfully to save her son. 12A 2L Club fire kills 61 A New Year's Eve bash in Bangkok, Thailand's, glitzy entertainment district ended in flames that left 61 people dead and 200 injured. 10A To our readers Beginning today, the Lifestyle Family section will merge with Upstate Weekend. The tabloid will include entertainment, comics and TV listings, as well as Kids and Pets pages from the Family section.

Watch for Family Weekend every Friday exclusively in The Greenville News. INSIDE Abby 2A People Tab Area news Bridge Tab Sports 1C 4A Television Tab Tab Theaters 8B Upstate Pets.Tab TabU.SyWorld-.10A Tab Voices Tab Weather Calendar. Classifieds Crossword Kids Page- wwui.greenvilleonlitte.com Circulation hot line 800-736-7136 Classified Ads 298-4221 Copyright 2008 Greenville News-Piedmont Co. A Gannett Newspaper 131st year No.318-36pages 750 THF KIWS II PmNHDUSINO RECYCLED PAPEX ple with the shovels in their hands seem to have been Latinos. So I'm not sure if we have a shovel-ready labor force." Beginning this week, the law requires public agencies and contractors doing business with the government to use the E-Verify See WORKERS on page 3A Parks fill holiday slots fast Summer rentals slow travelers delay decisions, state says By Anna Simon Clemson Bureau asimongreenvillenews.com Anyone dreaming of a Table Rock Christmas in 2009 or welcoming 2010 from Hunting Island would be wise to reserve cabins soon, but state park summer reservations are slow.

Holiday season cabin rentals at the state's most popular parks including Table Rock and Hunting Island are snatched up as soon as they are available, 11 months in advance, said Marion Edmonds, spokesman for the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Table Rock's "Christmas families," who return to the state park year after year, "know to. book their cabins when the 11-month window opens," said park ranger Benji Bishop. Summer, on the other hand, is filling more slowly than usual this year, Bishop said. People are restricting travel because of their budgets, Bishop See PARKS on page 3A Israeli bomb kills key Hamas leader By Ibrahim Barzak and Jason Keyser The Press GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip An Israeli warplane dropped a bomb on the home of one of Hamas' top five decision-makers Thursday, instantly killing him and 18 others.

The Israeli army said troops massed on the Gaza border were ready for any order to invade. The airstrike on Nizar Rayan was the first that succeeded in killing a member of Hamas' highest echelon since Israel began its offensive Saturday. The 49-year-old professor of Islamic law was known for personally participating in clashes with Israeli forces and for sending one of his sons on a 2001 suicide mission that killed two Israelis. Israel also kept the way open for leaders in the Middle East and Europe to arrange a cease-fire. Israel said it would consider a halt to fighting if international moni- See ISRAEL on page 3A WAV AV i FITIniitT7ii B0WLWRAPUP Extended coverage of the Gator and Outback bowls, and the rest of the New Year's Day football action.

Page IB ACTION ONLINE To see photos from the bowl games, go to jfgreenvilleonline.com cit in the second half. Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper passed for touchdowns to Aaron Kelly and Jacoby Ford, but the Tigers (7-6) were limited to 4 yards rushing, and Harper was sacked five times. Clemson also scored on a 28-yard fumble return by DeAndre McDaniel, but Harper was intercepted twice and the Huskers blocked a put and a field goal attempt. Still, the Tigers, playing be "We did some decent things in the middle of the year," Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said. "But lately, we really struggled." Quarterback Stephen Garcia's homecoming did not go well.

The redshirt freshman who graduated from Tampa's Jefferson High School threw three interceptions and lost a fumble as USC fell behind 21-0 in the first half. He was replaced by sophomore Chris Smelley to open the second half. fore a crowd of 67,282, took the ball to the Nebraska' 10-yard line with less than two minutes to play. After an incompletion to Aaron Kelly, Harper was sacked on second down. C.J.

Spiller couldn't hold a pass in the end zone on third down, and Harper zipped the ball behind Jacoby Ford on fourth down. "Had a lot of momentum at halftime and could not sustain the momentum the second half," said coach Dabo Swinney, who blew life into the team after taking over for Tommy Bowden at midseason. "Just didn't play well enough to win, as simple as that." It was Clemson's third straight bowl defeat and 16th in 31 bowl games. pfpf- ferH imwA tint CHRIS O'MtARA The Associated Press South Carolina tight end Jared Cook scores a touchdown in Thursday's Outback Bowl. By Ed McGranahan Staff Writer emcgranagreenvillenews.com JACKSONVILLE, Fla.

The season ended unceremoniously for the Clemson University football team with a pass wide of its target skipping harmlessly into the end zone at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium to seal Nebraska's 26-21 win in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl. Quarterback Joe Ganz passed for two touchdowns and Alex Henery kicked three field' goals as the Cornhuskers (9-4) finished off their season with four straight wins. Ganz passed to Nate Swift and Todd Peterson for touchdowns, and Henery kicked field goals of 49, 28, 28 and 22 yards as Nebraska rallied from a 21-10 defi- USC's early mistakes costly against Iowa By Willie T. Smith III Staff Writer wtsmith greenvillenews.com TAMPA, Fla. The University of South Carolina entered Thursday's Outback Bowl hopeful of finishing its season on a positive note.

Instead, a season that once appeared promising ended with a 3M0 loss to Iowa. USC finishes with a 7-6 record after losing its final three games by a combined score of 118-30. ITTTTTT WET.