The Times and Democrat from Orangeburg, South Carolina • A3

The Times Monda ct ober 17 2016 A3 00 1 Donald Earle Rizer February 20, 1951 October 14, 2016 Don Rizer, age 65, died suddenly at his home on Oct. 14, 2016. Born in Olar to Earle and Melle Kirkland Rizer on Feb. 20, 1951, Don grew up in Denmark, where he made lifelong friends in the town, high school and on the Edisto River. In 1973, he graduated from Furman University, cum laude in history, religion and English.

Don rec eived a full scholarship to study theology at the Candler School of Theology, Emory University. Although he left rural South Carolina for Greenville and Atlanta, he would always return home to visit his parents and the river he loved. After attending Emory, he taught history and religion at Denmark-Olar High School before attending the University of South Carolina School of Law. After graduating in 1980, he was admitted to the S.C. Bar and clerked for the Honorable James Price and the Honorable Frank Epps following law school.

After the judicial clerkships, he began his legal career as a bank trust officer in Greenville. natural gift for exceptional cooking became his trademark. He established Don Rizer Catering in the late 1980s and it soon became his passion and full-time pursuit. His mother, Melle was his right hand help in the early years. She would travel from Denmark to Greenville to help Don with many elegant events.

Don donated dinners, receptions and parties to many Greenville local charities. easy manner and gentle style allowed him to make many new friends wherever he went. During high school and college Don developed an interest in antiques and decorating. He shared his decorating talent with family and friends. Don restored an old home in downtown Greenville to a showplace filled with architectural details he selected and lovely furnishings he collected for decades.

father died in 2011. Don cared for his mother at his home until her death in 2014. He is survived by his brother, Frank Rizer (Williene) of Bamberg; and his nephew, Kirkland Lee Rizer. Don leaves behind a legion of friends who were also his family. These friends were in constant awe of his many interests and talents.

The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the graveside at Historic Mizpah United Methodist Church at Bridge. He will be buried in the family plot next to his parents. Frank and Williene Rizer will receive friends and family at their home, 705 Pine Bamberg, immediately following the service.

A memorial service celebrating life will be held in Greenville at a date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, gifts in name to Bethel Park United Methodist Church, 25 Beech Denmark, SC 29402, and the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, 200 South Main Greenville, SC 29601, would be appreciated. Cooner Funeral Home, 287 McGee Bamberg, is in charge of the arrangements. Birdie Dell White Deverger Funeral services for Mrs. Birdie Dell White Deverger of Bronx, N.Y., formerly of St.

Matthews, will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, at Bethel AME Church, St. Matthews. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Friennds may call at the residence of her daughter, Rosalyn Jones, 201 Bridal Wreath Drive, St. Matthews, and Carson Funeral Home of St. Matthews Gilbert L. Gilbert L. 71, of Rowesville, died Saturday, Oct.

15, 2016, at Palmetto Richland Hospital after experiencing a series of ongoing health problems. The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, at New Hope United Methodist Church of Rowesville, with the Rev. Sandra Whetsell officiating.

Burial will follow in Rowesville Cemetery. Thompson Funeral Home Inc. is in charge of arrangements. He was born Aug. 6, 1945, in Orangeburg County, the son of the late Hubert and the late Azalea Cooper He graduated from Cameron High School and he was a member of New Hope United Methodist Church of Rowesville.

He was married for 51 years to Goldie Abstance He was employed as a lead man at Utica Tool Company and as a foreman at American Koyo. In 1995, he bought and began operating Grocery, a convenience store in Rowesville. He enjoyed the store and serving his customers and friends, but his true love was his land and being able to climb on his tractors and other farm equipment as long as his health permitted. Survivors include his wife, Goldie A. of the home; two daughters, Shelia (Jackie) Derrick of Columbia and Nicole (Mike) Smoak of Rowesville; a sister, Melanie (Frankie) Metts of Orangeburg; and a brother, Hubert (Renee) of Orangeburg.

He is also survived by four grandchildren, Bailey Smoak and Brandon Smoak of Rowesville, Amanda Steffen of Decatur, Georgia, and Cody Steffen of Columbia; and two great-grandchildren. The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the doctors and medical eams who have cared for and treated Gilbert over the past three years. Friends may call at the residence and the funeral home. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Oct.

17, at Thompson Funeral Home Inc. in Orangeburg. The family suggests memorials be made to New Hope United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 54, Rowesville, SC, or to the American Lung Association. Please sign the online guest book at www.

thompsonfh.net. OBITUARIES STAFF REPORT St. Matthews Police Department A report of gunshots being fired near the intersection of U.S. 601 and Means Street on Sept. 30 resulted in the arrest of a man who had been shot in the buttock.

When the officer responded to the scene, he sa the Church Street man and approached him. The man began to walk away, yelling profanity at the officer, according to the incident report. The officer identi ed the suspect as having multiple warrants for his arrest. As he was pursuing the suspect, the officer saw him drop an object that was later identified as a revolver with six expended shells in it. After a search by several officers, the suspect was apprehended.

While transporting him to jail, police discovered he had a gunshot wound in his buttock. He was treated at the hospital, taken to jail and charged with unlawful carrying of a pistol and discharging a firearm in the city limits. He was also served with the outstanding warrants. In other reports: A Reid Street resident reported Sept. 28 that an intoxicated Sycamore Street man, with whom she had an altercation, had refused to leave her property.

After being told to leave several times, the man urinated on the property, the report states. He was placed under arrest for disorderly conduct and trespassing. A resident of Agnes Street was taken into custody as a wanted person at his home on Oct. 1. He was served with a warrant, charged with second-offense driving under suspension and taken to jail.

A female resident of Mack Hill reported an altercation with a Means Street woman on Oct. 3 When the officer tried to break up the argument, the Means Street woman was abusive and did not obey the officer, the report states. When she was subsequently arrested, she gave the officer a false name, the report states. She was booked at the Law Enforcement Complex for public disorderly conduct, giving false information to police and failure to change address. A Darby Road driver on Oct.

9 was observed by an officer a and almost hitting the car. When the officer pulled the driver over, he detected a strong odor of alcohol on him and noticed his speech was slurred, the report states. The cer administered a field sobriety test, which the driver failed. The man was arrested, taken to jail and charged with driving under the influence, open container and driving under suspension. Calhoun County Sheri ce A resident of Summerland Drive near Cayce reported Oct.

4 that when she arrived to pick up her boyfriend, she was confronted by his ex-girl friend and punched in the eye over a disagreement about money, according to an incident report. The ex-girlfriend was charged with assault and battery. A Bridal Wreath Road resident reported Oct. 5 that her live-in boyfriend was drinking and had assaulted and threatened her. The man was taken into custody and charged with second-degree domestic violence.

When a Sweetwater Road resident was arrested on a Family Court bench warrant on Oct. 4, he was found to be in possession of a leafy, green substance. He was subsequently charged with simple possession of marijuana. A resident of Poplar Landing Lane near Elloree reported Oct. 5 that his candy apple red Club Car Precedent golf cart and a 48-volt charger were taken from his property.

The stolen property is valued at $7,100, the report states. A Valley Ridge Road resident reported Oct. 5 that her mailbox was stolen. The mailbox is valued at $100. Report of shots leads to arrest Man wounded in buttock G.W.

HALL Correspondent SANTEE Santee Town Council voted six citizen volunteers into influential seats on several boards during its October meeting. William E. Clark and Roosevelt Hezekiah accepted posts on the architectural review board. Celia Hezekiah signed on to serve with the election commission. Martha Taylor, Allen Shurtleff and Joy Artlip agreed to serve on the zoning board of adjustments.

have been asking for quite some time for citizens to step up and assist in managing and conducting the affairs of their Santee Mayor Donnie Hilliard said. pleas ed to thank these six individuals who have agreed to serve in various board He noted that the town has additional openings on other boards. Anyone who lives inside the town limits and would like to as Hilliard said, and serve the Santee community should call town hall at 803-854-2152. Also during the meeting, council voted to approve an intergovernmental agreement with Orangeburg County. The agreement enables the county to continue assisting the town in enforcing construction and property maintenance codes.

the small-sized town that we are, (Santee) does not have the where withal or the capacity to provide the expertise needed to do the various code inspections required by the applicable building Hilliard said, providing a quick history of the agreement. we have contracted with the County of Orangeburg to provide those services to Council members also heard the first reading of an ordinance to amend local water and wastewater department procedures. Basically, the amendments will correct what Hilliar described as hiccup in our fee If the measure goes into effect, the town will charge property owners a deposit as it does renters when they sign up for water or sewer service. This practice would enable Santee to recover the cost of services provided between the last bill paid before the sale of the property and the date the property is actually sold. Council will hold second reading of the measure at its next meeting on Wednesday, Nov.

2. In other business, council members discussed plans for upcoming holiday festivities. The town will hold its 2016 Christmas Parade at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11.

Council members chose Up the Christmas as the theme for this parade. ontac the writer: Council fills 6 key board positions SUSANNAH GEORGE Associated Press IRBIL, Iraq Iraqi forces appear poised to launch their most complex anti-IS operation to date: retaking the second-largest city of Mosul. While the military has won a string of territorial victories that have pushed the Islamic State group out of more than half the territory the group once held, some Iraqi officials worry that the Mosul fight has been rushed and if the city is retaken without a plan to broker a peace, it could lead to more violence. How we got here Mosul fell to the Islamic State group in June of 2014, when the extremist group blitzed across northern and western Iraq, overrunning nearly a third of the country and plunging Iraq into its mo st critical political and security crisis since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. The most recent string of territorial victories for Iraqi ground forces have been in the west.

Iraqi forces retook the city of Ra madi in late 2015, followed by a number of towns and villages along the Euphrates River valley and then Fal lujah in June. This allowed Iraqi orces to weaken the group by cutting supply lines used to ferry fighters and supplies between territory held in Syria and Iraq. Troop buildup Iraqi forces began moving into Nineveh province to surr ound Mosul in July, when ground troops led by the elite special forces retook Qayara air bas south of the city. Thousands of Iraqi troops are now massing there ahead of the planned operation. Iraqi troops are also being deployed east of Mosul in the Khazer area, along with Kurdish Peshmerga forces, and to the north of the city near the Mosul Dam and Bashiqa areas.

The players In addition to the Iraqi army, Kurdish Peshmerga forces, Iraqi special forces and Sunni tribal fighters, Shiite militia forces are also expected to play a role in the Mosul operation. The role of the Shiite militias has been particularly sensitive, as Nineveh is a majority Sunni province and Shiite militia forces have been accused of carrying out abuses against civilians in other operations in majority Sunni parts of Iraq. A very small number of Turkish troops deployed for over a year in Iraqi territory at a base north of Mosul have caused a recent spike in tensions between Iraq and Turkey. Iraq has repeatedly called for the Turkish forces to withdraw, claiming they entered the country without the permission of the central government. unclear if they intend to play a role in the operation to retake Mosul; president has said they cannot be excluded.

Shiite militia fighters have said they are violating Iraqi sovereignty and have vowed to expel them. The operation special forces say the fight to retake Mosul will largely be launched from the north and east. The Kurdish peshmerga forces say they will push IS out of a cluster of mostly Christian and Yazidi villages northeast of Mosul along the Nineveh plain, while Iraqi military troops try to cut the main supply line northwest of Mosul that links IS territory in Iraq to its strongholds in Syria. Iraqi forces poised to launch BERLIN (AP) The Eur opean Space Agency dispatched an experimental probe Sunday on the final leg of its quest to land on Mars, part of a mission aimed at exploring the red atmosphere and searching for signs of life. The Schiaparelli lander separated from its mother ship as scheduled, flight director Michel Denis announced to applause at control center in Darmstadt, Germany.

That set it on the way to a controlled descent to the surface on Wednesday. Schiaparelli will take images of Mars and conduct scientific measurements on the surface, but its main purpose is to test technology for a future European Mars rover. mother ship, the Trace Gas Orbiter, will remain in orbit analyzing methane and other gases in the Martian atmosphere to help determine whether there is or was life on Mars. Methane is created by biological or geological activity and breaks down within a relatively short period of time once it reaches the atmosphere. Lander to begin descent BRADLEY KLAPPER Associated Press LONDON The United States and Britain on Sunday acknowledged the Western weak support for any military action against government as they sought ways to pressure President Bashar Assad and his chief backer, Russia, to halt a deadly offensive in Aleppo.

They tried to present it as a possibility, nevertheless. After a meeting of 11 governments opposing rule, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson each insisted all options were on the table. But their stark explanations about the danger of resorting to military force appeared to rule out such a move. The result was a somewhat schizophrenic threat that as unlikely to scare government or Russia as they move to crush the last rebel-held areas of Aleppo, largest city.

a great power is involved in a fight like this, as Russia has chosen to be by going there and then putting its missiles in place in order to threaten people against military action, it raises the stakes of Kerry said after the meeting in London. He said no one should be a under a larger sectarian war in the Middle East or one drawing in superpowers against one another. Johnson said Britain wanted to pressure on Assad, Russia and Iran. option is, in principle, off the he told reporters. Quickly expanding his answer, he added: in no doubt that these so-called military options are extremely difficult and there is, to put it mildly, a lack of political appetite in most European capitals and certainly in the West for that kind of solution at got to work with the tools we he said.

tools we have are The gathering in London came amid mounting international frustr ation with the year conflict, which has killed as many as a half-million people, sparked worst refugee crisis since World War II and enabled Islamic State militants to emerge as a global terror threat. Kerry on Saturday launched a new diplomatic process with what he described as the major international players in the war U.S., UK: Support weak for action against Syria DEADLINES IN MEMORIAMS BIRTHDAY ADS Publication Date Deadline Monday Thursday, 4pm Tuesday Friday, 4pm Wednesday Monday, Noon Thursday Tuesday, Noon Friday Wednesday, Noon Saturday Thursday, Noon Sunday Thursday, Noon The Times and Democrat.