The State from Columbia, South Carolina • A3

SUNDAY APRIL 21 2019 3ALocalTHESTATE.COM FACEBOOK.COM/THESTATENEWS TWITTER.COM/THESTATE Nikki Haley is coming back to her hometown. The former governor and ambassador to the United Nations will be in Bamberg, South Carolina on April 24 to visit Richard Carroll Elementary School at 3 p.m.. be at the Practice Makes Perfect Homework Center. The homework center is part of an after school initiative put together by education non-profit, The Original Six Foundation. Haley rejoined the board of the foundation in February, after she stepped down from two years as President Donald ambassador to the U.N.

The foundation helps to bring together public, private and civic partners to improve education in South rural and in-need areas. Unique initiatives are created for the places the foundation supports. The foundation helped create after school programs in Bamberg, Clarendon and Union counties as well as literacy programs in Barnwell and Dillion counties. community initia- tive is unique in its initia- tion, strategy, funding, duration and partici- the website says. Foun- dation works to identify the greatest areas of need in each community that it serves by initially conven- ing a meeting of business and community leaders as well as non-profit service providers and other com- munity Nikki Haley visiting SC for education initiative BY DAVID TRAVIS BLAND HAN NILSSON TT News Agency via AP Nikki Haley, former SC Governor and former United Nations Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley arrives in Sweden in 2018.

Jim Gandy has been a TV staple in Columbia for decades with his weather forecasts. On 6 p.m. news broadcast, the long- time WLTX meteorologist made a different an- nouncement, telling viewers he is retiring. never thought get to this point. When you start your career you never know exactly how going to go.

I am going to be video shows Gandy saying. last day here will be Friday May Gandy was introduced by WLTX anchorman J.R. Berry, who opened the segment by saying there was a announce- before letting Gan- dy tell viewers about his plans. been a remarkable career, almost 44 years as a broadcaster, 45 years as a Gandy said during the broadcast. retirement was previously leaked by a Columbia group holding a fundraiser, which was auctioning off an evening with Gandy while he works on his TV broadcast.

always be South favorite weather man, in May of 2019, Jim Gandy will retire from read the description on bidr.co, for the event held March 21. Gandy has spent the past 20 years delivering his weather predictions for WLTX, according to his biography on the TV sta- website. From 1984 to 1999, Gandy worked in Columbia at WIS, accord- ing to the bio that said Gandy is as South In broad- cast, Gandy said spend his remaining time on air reflecting on his career, in addition to de- livering weather forecasts. now and May 31 going to be sharing some of my experiences from that video shows Gandy saying. In a 2016 WLTX story reflecting on his career, it said Gandy was known for his prediction of Hurricane in 1989 when he was the only meteorologist to forecast that the devas- tating hurricane would make landfall in Char- leston.

Gandy credited for saving accord- ing to the story. In 2014, Gandy was invited to the White House to interview then-President Barack Obama and discuss cli- mate change, The New York Times reported. After being named Best Weatherperson by the Free Times, the article said Gandy the weather and the science behind climate and cli- mate change in an ac- cessible way, and that makes him the Gandy has a postgradu- ate degree in atmospheric science from the University of South Carolina and did his un- dergraduate studies at Florida State, according to his Linked In account. He told The State that when he was studying meteorology in 1973, Gan- dy and a friend followed a storm from Tallahassee, Florida, to Tifton, Georgia, in a Volkswagen Beetle. was the first storm I ever he said, according to the newspa- per.

After graduating, Gandy worked at the Center for Storm Research in Houston before moving on to TV jobs in Memphis, Oklaho- ma City and Wichita before coming to Columbia, it says on his WLTX bio. Noah Feit: 803-771-8435, ERIC SEALS WIS weatherman Jim Gandy plans to retire. His last day at the station will be May 31, after more than 40 years in broadcasting. Longtime Columbia meteorologist Jim Gandy announces his retirement BY NOAH FEIT BEEN AREMARKABLE CAREER, ALMOST 44 YEARS AS A BROADCASTER, 45 YEARS AS A METEOROLOGIST. Jim Gandy COLUMBIA, S.C.

Former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to announce running for president next week, cap- ping months of deliber- ation and adding to a crowded 18-person Demo- cratic field. The 76-year-old would enter the race with a strong advantage, but he likely will face questions about his age and more moderate record in a party that has become more progressive and has placed greater emphasis on gen- der and racial diversity. Biden, too, has strug- gled to respond to recent accusations that he touched women inappro- priately, and has faced criticism about his handling of the 1991 hearings into Anita sexual harassment allegations against Su- preme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. The former Delaware U.S. senator has since apologized for his role in the hearing.

But in a state were women accounted for two-thirds of voters in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary and with six women in the 2020 field the allega- tions could prove harmful. Presidential hopefuls, including some of the women candidates, are already making some of the complaints about Bi- den an issue in the era of Several Democratic presidential candidates have weighed in on the allegations. Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar, say they have no reason to doubt the allegations, which they say Biden will need to properly address, should he enter the race. Also weighing in, form- er Texas congressman and Democratic presidential candidate Beto earlier this month said the women accusing Biden of uncomfortable touching be Time, though, will tell how S.C. Democratic voters will respond.

Florence attorney and former S.C. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Marguerite Willis, who supports Harris, had little to say about ex- pected entry into the race and criticisms of the way he interacts with women. going to have to answer (those said Willis, who, inspired by the move- ment, was outspoken on the campaign trail about issues. Cherie Mabrey, former president of the S.C. Dem- ocratic Council, of Rock Hill said excited for Biden to enter the race.

been hugged and kissed by Joe Biden, and not a terrible experi- she said. been hugged by (other) politi- cians and felt like I need- ed a shower afterward. not Mabrey served as depu- ty campaign manager for Archie Parnell, a Sumter Democrat who unsuccess- LOUIS BREMS The Citadel Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill chat with South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster at the funeral of former South Carolina Senator Ernest Hollings at The Citadel last week. SEE BIDEN, 6A THE BUZZ Poll suggests a frontrunner, but how will a Joe Biden candidacy play in SC? BY TOM BARTON PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS, INCLUDING SOME OF THE WOMEN CANDIDATES, ARE ALREADY MAKING SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT BIDEN AN ISSUE IN THE ERA OF COLUMBIA, SC Thomas Brock, a Ker- shaw County man who betrayed his wife, double- crossed a friend and cheated the federal gov- ernment of more than $150 million in military construction contracts, will be going to federal prison for 51 months.

U.S. Judge Michelle Childs handed down the sentence, which is four years and three months, in a brief hearing Thursday afternoon at the Matthew Perry federal courthouse in Columbia. Brock, 62, pleaded guilty last August. is remorseful for his actions and looks for- ward to putting this be- hind said one of attorneys, Ed Givens, who represented Brock along with lawyers Jim Griffin and Ravi Sa- nyal. In previous hearings, assistant U.S.

Attorney DeWayne Pearson has described Brock as the in a com- plex seven-person scheme to win fat military con- struction projects at bases such as Fort Jackson in Columbia, Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Shaw AFB in Sumter and other bases around the southeast Unit- ed States. A certain percentage of military construction pro- jects are meant for small businesses, particularly those owned by minor- ities, women and veterans. What Brock did was set up shell companies in which he installed, in one case, his now ex-wife who is a disabled veteran and in another case, an African- American friend. In both cases, those companies Double-crossing SC man who betrayed friend, cheated wife and government gets 4 years BY JOHN MONK SEE SENTENCE, 10A JOHN MONK Thomas Brock (left) leaves federal court after a hearing last year with his lawyers, Ed Givens (center) and Ravi Sanyal..