The Item from Sumter, South Carolina • 7

FROM PAGE 1A ZStltmu PAGE 7A LANDFALL FROM PAGE 1A Smerback said Ophelia might strengthen as it passes over the warmer Gulf Stream and approaches the coast of the Carolinas but is not expected to be stronger than a Category 1 hurricane He added however that it is important for coastal South Carolina residents to realize Ophelia is a large storm a tropical storm it is unusual to have one this he said winds extend westward 100 miles and northward 160 miles It is going to impact the South Carolina coast even though the center of the storm will make landfall in North Smerback said rain totals of 6 to 10 inches are possible in the north era coastal areas of South Carolina At 11 pm Ophelia was centered about 115 miles east of Charleston The storm was station ary but a gradual turn toward the north was expected Wednesday the hurricane center said A hurricane warning extended from the South Santee River in South Carolina north to Oregon Inlet at Pamlico Sound in North Carolina meaning hurricane conditions were expected within 24 hours A hurricartfe watch and tropical storm warning were in effect from the Oregon Inlet north to the North Carolina-Virginia line and southward from the South Santee River to Edisto Beach in South Carolina Emergency management officials in the tri-county area said Tuesday afternoon that they are ready to open shelters in their counties to assist residents in coastal regions will open our shelters if directed to do so by the said Robbie Baker emergency management director in Sumter County The Associated Press A group of surfers catches the same wave Tuesday at Folly Beach as Hurricane Ophelia threatened the Carolina coast WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 14 2005 OPHELIA FROM PAGE 1A A hurricane watch and tropical storm warning were in effect from the Oregon Inlet north to the North Carolina-Virginia line and southward from the South Santee River to Edisto Beach in South Carolina After taunting coastal residents for days the storm appeared ready to move ashore as heavy rain battered South northern coast and the beaches of southeastern North Carolina In Caroliha Beach south of Wrightsville Beach officials reported a foot of water on one road because of heavy wind and a high tide Unlike Hurricane devastating charge at the Gulf Coast the week-old Ophelia had been following a meandering path making predictions of its landfall difficult The hurricane latest forecasts showed it running along the coast then veering through Pamlico Sound crossing the Outer Banks and heading back out to sea Its slow movement meant heavy rain could linger over land possibly causing serious flooding The hurricane center said up to 15 inches of rain is possible in eastern North Carolina At least six North Carolina counties ordered mandatory evacuations of some areas and eight others had voluntary evacuations Along the exposed Outer Banks chain all residents and visitors were ordered to evacuate Hatteras Island on Tuesday visitors had been ordered off Ocracoke Island and the National Park Service closed the Cape Hatteras lighthouse and the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills Schools were closed in several coastal counties in both North and South Carolina while classes were canceled at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and East Carolina University in Greenville NC The Air Force sent some aircraft from SUSPECT FROM PAGE 1A Both officers were wearing protective armored vests authorities said A motive behind the shootings has not yet been determined Sheriff Anthony Dennis said criminal record includes charges of burglary and grand larceny and he was serving a probationary sentence at the time of the shootings Contact Staff Writer Crystal Owens at cowenstheitemcom or 803-7741270 olina coast and the search was suspended because of the rough sea At 11 pm Ophelia was centered about 80 miles southeast of Myrtle Beach A gradual northerly turn was expected during the night or today but continued erratic motion was likely the hurricane center said The likely path across Pamlico Sound and the Outer Banks would mean the biggest flooding threat would come not from the Adantic Ocean but from the sounds the bodies of water between the mainland and the barrier islands said Jonathan Hobbs a spokesman for the Dare County Joint Information Center Wind can push enough water out of the sounds to expose their bottoms Hobbs said Ophelia became a tropical storm Sept 7 off the Florida coast and later strengthened to a hurricane It is the 15th named storm and seventh hurricane in this busy Adantic hurricane season which began June 1 and ends Nov 30 bases in Virginia and North Carolina to airfields farther inland and moved others into hangars With power outages expected North Carolina utilities recalled workers they had sent to the Gulf Coast region after Hurricane Katrina North Carolina Gov Mike Easley said coastal residents should be prepared to go without power for two or three days beaches we expect to take a real beating" Easley said bottom line is definitely going to get flooding not just on the coast but in low-lying areas as the rivers swell from the storm surge South Carolina Gov Mark Sanford had called for a voluntary evacuation of oceanfront and riverside areas in the northeastern part of the state Virginia Gov Mark Warner declared a state of emergency National Guard troops were on duty in parts of North Carolina and Virginia A surfer was missing along the South Car CDDPER FROM PAGE 1A He has presided over 3rd Circuit Courts since 1992 when he was elected to fill the unexpired term of Judge Dan Laneyjr Cooper has presided over hundreds of civil and criminal cases throughout his 13 years on the bench His lengthiest trial was the school-funding case that lasted 17 months The lawsuit filed by eight South Carolina school districts against the state alleged the districts did not have the money to give students a minimally adequate education using the standard set forth by the SC Supreme Court in 1999 The trial began in July 2003 and closing arguments were heard Dec 9 2004 Since then Cooper has been reviewing 102 days of testimony from 70 witnesses while maintaining his regular duties in the 3rd Circuit Court system The Judicial Merit Selection Commission will begin accepting applications for seat at 12:01 pm on Oct 11 successor will fill his term of office which expires June 30 2010 The commission will begin accepting applications for seat at 12:01 pm on Oct 5 Contact Staff Writer Sharron Haley at shaleytheitemcom or 803435-8511 ri Bush gets agreement from Chinese leader FVfMMT -iHff rllBtiiiM iAifrlilifalTM-i The Associated Press Welbert Collins 72 cries while cleaning up outside his New Orleans home Tuesday was the first day he could get out to see the damage because the floodwaters in the neighborhood just receded LOUISIANA FROM PAGE 1A whom survive the evacuation many of those people are going to Cobb said He noted that three people from another nursing home had died while being evacuated ahead of the storm Tammy Daigle a nurse who worked at the home also said the owners had been worried about trying to evacuate a few of the residents who they knew Survive the move Tom Rodrigue whose mother died in the home was still angry Tuesday deserved the chance you know to be rescued instead of having to drown like a he said In addition to St the attorney general said he is investigating the discovery of more than 40 corpses at flooded-out Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans A hospital official said the 106-degree heat inside the hospital as the patients waited for days to be evacuated probably contributed to the deaths Even though the airport and waterfront were running at just a fraction of their capacity the symbolic importance was not lost on a city that only days before had all but collapsed into looting and desperation a commercial and psychological standpoint this is five was on pace for a record 10 million passengers this year During a tour of hurricane-stricken Mississippi US Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta pronounced Katrina the worst disaster for transportation in US history and estimated the damage to bridges and highways including broken and disjointed stretches of vital Interstate 10 -at $3 billion The Army Corps of Engineers reported significant progress running the operation to pump out flooded areas of New Orleans and neighboring parishes Col Duane Gapinski estimated that half of the flooded area or less was still under water and at the rate of 8 billion to 9 billion gallons a day the city was on target to be almost completely drained by Oct 8 The mayor said more than 40 pumping stations were operating in the city including the biggest pump will change the world as we know he said Amid the encouraging signs from the streets there were promises from the White House to learn from their mistakes and intensify efforts to help the victims In Washington President Bush said take for the failures in dealing with the hurricane leans International Airport which escaped widespread damage from Katrina but was reserved for humanitarian flights in the aftermath received its first commercial arrival a flight carrying about two dozen emergency workers and returning residents airport director Roy Williams said as he greeted the passengers glad to see Airport officials hope to be up to 60 flights a day within the week and back to full operation of 350 flights a day in six months Before Katrina hit the airport port president Gary La-Grange said between an outgoing barge shipment of auto parts to Alabama and the arrival of a ship carrying coffee and wood from Argentina Brazil and Mexico shows the people of New Orleans their city is back in Some experts had predicted it would take up to six months to get the port operating again after the hurricane damaged terminals and knocked out the electricity to operate cranes A backlog of vessels had formed along the Mississippi River waiting to load and unload cargo At Louis Armstrong New Or weapons program we come away with a clear commitment on the tactics" Mike Green the National Security senior director for Asia said at a briefing on the Bush-Hu meeting thinks we all need to step up the diplomatic Green said He said Bush did not ask for a commitment on sanctions but the Chinese side I think exactly where coming from" Bush at a news conference earlier in Washington appeared to give Iran a green light to have a peaceful nuclear program But the United States has a different view about North Korea Korea needs to get out completely out of the nuclear Green said Consumed by Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts for two weeks Bush pivoted to foreign policy for a meeting of more than 160 presidents prime ministers and kings at a summit on combating poverty and reforming the United Nations Bush is to address the General Assembly on Wednesday By TERENCE HUNT Associated Press Writer NEW YORK President Bush won a pledge from Chinese President Hu Jintao to step up pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons but the two leaders remained apart Tuesday about whether to seek international sanctions against Iran The two leaders met here as talks resumed in Beijing aimed at persuading North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons Bush said his discussions with Hu ranged from how to prevent an avian flu pandemic to economic matters and feared nuclear proliferation in North Korea and Iran He seemed pleased when Hu said stand ready to step up our communication and to gain fresh progress in negotiations with North Korea While offering help on North Korea Hu did not embrace a US proposal to bring Iran before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions for its suspected nuclear Chase nets arrest on multiple drug charges Drew Choate officiating The family wilhreceive friends from 2 to 3:30 pm Thursday in the church sanctuary Memorials may be made to Harmony Church PO Box 1878 Sumter SC 29151 Online condolences may be sent to wwwsumterfuneralscom Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home and Crematory 221 Broad St Sumter is in charge of the arrangements SARAH JACKSON Sarah Jane Harrison Jackson 68 widow of Leroy Jackson died Sept 13 2005 at Tuomey Regional Medical Center Born Oct 26 1936 in New Zion she was a daughter of the late James Harrison and Conyers Eaddy Harrison The family will receive friends at her residence and her residence 525 Calhoun St Friendship Apartments No 34 Services will be announced by Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning JOHN GAMBLE Jr LAKE CITY -John Henry Gamble Jr 58 died Saturday Sept 10 2005 at Palmetto Richland Hospital Columbia Born Aug 23 1947 in Lake City he was a son of Ivory Gamble of Lake City The family will receive friends at the residence 345 Thomas St Lake City SC 29560 Services will be announced by Funeral Home of Lake City OBITUARIES WILLIAM ARRINGTON MYRTLE BEACH William Harold Arrington age 59 of Myrtle Beach and Easley died Saturday Sept 10 2005 in Myrtle Beach Born Sept 9 1946 in Roanoke Va he was the son of the late Joseph and Christine Newman Arrington Mr Arrington was a member of Dacusville Church of God Surviving are his wife Suzanne Arrington three children Eddie Myers and his wife Holly of Spring Hill Ken Myers and his wife Kathleen of Marietta Ga and Melissa Albertson and her husband Chad of Easley 10 grandchildren two brothers Joseph Arrington Jr of Roanoke and Michael Arrington and his wife Janis of Auburn Ind and a sister Mary Lee Loope and her husband Bill of Roanoke Memorial services will be held at 3 pm Sunday at Dacusville Church of God Memorials may be made to Medical University of South Carolina 171 Ashley Ave Charleston SC 29425 and Dacusville Church of God 199 Thomas Mill Road Easley SC 29640 Goldfinch Funeral Home Murrells Inlet is in charge of arrangements Sign the guest book at wwwgoldfinchfuneral-homecom EUGENE JOHNSON Jr SUMMERTON The Rev Eugene Johnson Jr 49 died Monday Sept 12 2005 at his residence in Summerton Born Dec 6 1955 in the Paxville community he was the husband of Evangelist Ella Johnson and son of the late Eugene Johnson Sr and Mattie Johnson The family will receive friends at the home of his wife 1014 Jim Ross Road Summerton Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by the staff and management of Summerton Funeral Service ROBERT McDUFFIE Jr FAYETTEVILLE NC Robert Milton McDuffie Jr 53 died Sept 11 2005 at his residence 210 Plymouth St Fayetteville Born Feb 2 1952 in Sumter he was a son of the late Robert Milton McDuffie Sr and Sarah Brunson McDuffie Services will be announced by Mortuary Inc of Sumter WILLIAM SINGLETON William Joseph Singleton 81 husband of Roberta Watt Singleton died Monday Sept 12 2005 at the Tuomey Regional Medical Center Born in Sumter County he was the son of the late William Joseph Singleton and the late Pauline Kvaternik Singleton Watt Mr Singleton was a member of Harmony Church He was a retired superintendent with BL Montague with 25 years of service He was a farmer and founder of Singleton Steel Co He was a former chairman of the board and charter member of Sumter Markets He was past president of Sumter Farm Bureau and a US Army veteran and served in Germany Surviving are his wife of Sumter four children Carol Blair and husband Joe of Mars Hill NC Billy Singleton and wife Gail of Sumter Lucy Plunkett and husband Dan of Columbia and Sid Singleton and wife Gina of Sumter a special family friend Juan Sepulveda of Sumter two brothers Frank Singleton of Chapin and Bob Singleton of Florida a sister Iris Mills of Mayesville a stepbrother Thomas Watt a half-brother EM Watt four stepsisters Edna Touchberry Vera Brad-ham Gertrude Benbow and Marguerite Huggins a half-sister Tona Chandler all of Sumter 13 grandchildren Kerry Blair Ponder and husband Darren Todd Allen Blair and wife Shan-nan Ginger Singleton Elizabeth Kelderhouse and husband Aaron Matthew Singleton Patricia Singleton Jacob Singleton William Plunkett Paul Plunkett Daniel Plunkett Emile Haas and husband Jeff Thomas A Singleton and Casey Barnes one great-grandchild Joseph James Ponder special friends Willie and Thomasina Galloway He was preceded in death by three stepsisters Caro Leigh McElveen Wilma Ridgeway and Clyde Hook and a stepbrother John Allen Watt Memorial services will be held at 4 pm Thursday at Harmony Church with the Rev suspected cocaine 18 grams of suspected marijuana $485 in cash and a semi-automatic pistol authorities said Dailey said the cocaine has a street value about $1540 or $100 a gram- and the marijuana has a street value of $90 or $5 a gram The cocaine distribution charges against June stem from an undercover operation last month Dailey said Records indicate June was charged in July 1994 with trafficking marijuana in connection with a traffic stop at 10:22 a June 7 1994 on North Pike West in which police reportedly found 12 pounds of the drug in a car he was driving He pleaded guilty in November 1994 records say to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and was sentenced to five years in prison and a $5000 fine which was suspended to two years and three probation Contact Staff Writer Crystal Owens at cowenstheitemcom or 803-774-1270 By CRYSTAL OWENS Item Staff Writer A man with a history of drug trafficking was arrested Friday following a brief vehicle chase with members of the Sumter City-County Drug Team authorities said Sumter County Sheriffs Office Capt Allen Dailey said George June 36 of 251 Rast St is in the Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center in lieu of a $60000 bond on charges of failure to stop for blue lights cocaine trafficking third offense marijuana possession third offense and three counts of cocaine distribution Dailey said June was taken into custody without incident following the chase Members of the city-county drug team were then able to execute a search warrant at his home where they found 154 grams of RIGBY PEARSON MANNING Rigby James Pearson 76 widower of Mary Ethel Jones Pearson died Sept 13 2005 at 4451 Rev JW Carter Road Manning Born in the Davis Station community of Clarendon County he was a son of the late Rigby and Henrietta Pearson The family will receive friends at the home 4451 Rev JW Carter Road Manning Sendees will be announced by Samuels Funeral Home LLC of Manning I.