Anderson Independent-Mail from Anderson, South Carolina • 4

FROM PAGE 1ANATION IndependentMailcom 4A Wednesday June 22 2005 Anderson Independent-Mail Forum unites river denizens Trial to reveal probe into death certain flow in the river But even at the bottom of the pipe surprising common ground was found with the headwaters Dean Moss general manager of the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority said reservoir operations far upstream were the most critical aspect of his mission not when they keep too much water upstream but not enough want water in those reservoirs as long as it can stay Mr Moss said would like flow reduced to 3600 cubic feet per second from the moment drought is detected to stretch out our That delighted Mr Gray heard him say that he said is the first time heard him say that publicly I appreciated Kelly Davis can be reached at (864) 260-1277 or by e-mail at daviskIndependentMailcom every issue regarding the Savannah neighborly cooperation is Gov Perdue also announced that he and South Carolina Gov Mark Sanford have officially convened committees to meet regularly on shared water concerns Ms Waldrep leads the South Carolina committee of five The Anderson area sent a contingent of about six people to the meeting including Mr Waldrep as a speaker and panelist Lake Hartwell Association President Mike Massey and Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce Water Resources Committee Chairman Mike Gray Mr Gray was adamant that the upper basin economy on both sides depends on the US Army Corps of Engineers keeping the reservoirs filled most of the time But there are three cities an army base two counties and 12 major industries below the Thurmond Dam that depend on a FROM PAGE 1A said Columbia County Commission Chairman Ron Cross a Greenville native and Anderson Junior Academy graduate best thing is what doing here coming together to talk to all the now not in said Bob Waldrep an Anderson lawyer and retired state senator who has led cooperative efforts be prepared and be willing to share the The most expansive comments on cooperation came from Gov Perdue who lent a historic tone to the meeting in describing it as the first to bring together people from the upper middle and lower reaches on both sides Savannah River is a boundary but I believe it is a boundary that connects more than it Gov Perdue said is expected to at least get a peek inside the so-called murder book showing whom the Los Angeles Police Department interviewed and which leads were followed Both sides also presented opening statements and mother Voletta Wallace dabbed at her eyes with a tissue as an attorney recounted the night of her death Christopher Wallace was killed shortly after midnight March 9 1997 on a Los Angeles boulevard after someone in a dark sedan fired seven shots into his sport utility vehicle while both cars were stopped at a light Mr Wallace was heading to a hotel following an awards show BY RYAN PEARSON The Associated Press LOS ANGELES The mystery of who gunned down Notorious BIG and why has frustrated and fascinated the hip-hop world for eight years With FBI and police investigations failing to net even a suspect a swirl of theories implicated corrupt cops gang hits bicoastal beefs or all three at once None have been provable so far The case finally is in court as a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the New York family against the city of Los Angeles and its police department On Tuesday a nine-person jury was selected The panel Local Winn-Dixie stores closing Communities plan to develop mentoring group WINN-DIXIE LEAVING Winn-Dixie Stores Inc will close or sell all 30 of its stores in the Upstate market as well as its distribution center in Taylors Those stores include: In Anderson 1475 Pearman Dairy Road 1520 Greenville St In Belton 605 Main St In WiUiamston 21 Pelzer Ave In Hartwell 1000 Franklin St In Seneca 1561 US 123 In Clemson 500-1 Greenville Highway In West Union 134 Foothills Drive In Westminster 1049 Main St In Easley 6101 Calhoun Memorial Highway In Abbeville 1407 Main St In Pickens 529 Hampton Ave FROM PAGE 1A community leaders teachers and coaches attended the meeting with the same goal: to come together to figure out a way to reach out to the young people in both towns The plan: develop a mentoring group called Victory over Ignorance through Community Empowerment or VOICE The Rev Raymond Pressley of Haigler Street Church of Christ in Abbeville organized town hall meetings one each to be held in the two towns and a final one to be held in between the two boundaries in response to the April death of 18-year-old Abbeville resident Morris Mr Morris was attacked beaten and shot to death outside an apartment complex in Calhoun Falls Many say his death was the result of along-standing rivalry between the towns Mr Pressley pleaded with the crowd to volunteer for the group to pass on their skills their knowledge and wisdom to the youth Mr London is a leader of VOICE Abbeville and Calhoun Falls residents sat side by side in chairs listening to the speakers At various points in the speeches the civic center was filled with roaring and applause turning the building into something akin to a Sunday church sermon got to stand together Stop protecting the ones you know that are committing the local radio announcer Gus Wilson said suggesting cooperation between the residents and the police can we do to combat the crime? The best way to fight it is to start with the children at Charmaine Smith can be reached at (864) 260-1269 or by e-mail at smithcaIndependentMailcom in town and Mrs Callahan worried that there would be no competition to keep grocery prices low Some shoppers at the Winn-Dixie on US 123 in Seneca surprised the store be around much longer disheartened by said Mary Waltz 59 of Walhalla go to the one in Walhalla all the time But this dead there been anyone in the store for at least six months to a Bea Bryant of Seneca said Winn-Dixie was more convenient than other grocers have Ingles or Bi-Los and I hate it because standing in line more and those do it yourself machines I always have a problem with she said is just handy and more convenient because I have to drive either or to Bi-Lo And I feel I get a little bit better buy Winn-Dixie is No 182 on the 2005 Fortune 500 list of the largest corporations The company was ranked No 8 among 19 food and drug store companies while Lakeland-based Publix was ranked No 6 among supermarkets and No 117 overall Winn-Dixie traces its origins to a family-run grocery store in Burley Idaho One of that employees William Milton Davis bought out the grocer in 1914 according to information found on Web site In 1925 Mr Davis moved his store to Florida and started acquiring other grocery stores a trend his four sons continued after his death in 1934 The Davis sons acquired the majority of the Winn Lovett chain in 1939 and merged that company with the Dixie Home Stores in 1955 to create Winn-Dixie Stores Inc Wendy Weinhold can be reached at (864) 260-1248 or by e-mail at weinholdwmIndependentMaOcom Anderson Independent-Mail reporters Nathan Golden and Stephanie Tracy contributed to this report FROM PAGE 1A of the authorization of the plan as buyers are secured for the shuttered stores Stores that are not sold to competitors will be closed within months the company spokesman said Company officials said they will ask the new owners to retain as many employees as possible Position and time of service will determine severance pay counseling and financial planning offered to employees Employees contacted outside the Winn-Dixie stores in Anderson knew their jobs were at risk Before 18-year-old Anderson resident Carlos Oliver could comment on the imminent closure of the Pearman Dairy Road store where he was clearing grocery carts from the parking lot a fellow employee ushered him inside Across town at the Windsor Place strip mall on East Greenville Street an employee whose badge read Jason was about to share his opinion when another employee called to him from the doorway talk to the employee said in an exaggerated whisper Winn-Dixie shares traded up after the closures were announced rising 2 cents or 13 percent to close at $114 in over-the-counter trading Tuesday afternoon after being down most of the day Anderson resident and Winn-Dixie stockholder Gary McLain 55 stopped by the Pearman Dairy Road Winn-Dixie Tuesday after reading online reports of the store closures He thought the downsizing was a good move that would get the company back on track Mr McLain a Bi-Lo employee said his company saw many improvements last year when it scaled back under a similar plan and sold many of its low-performing stores and distribution centers just too much Mr McLain said Winn-Dixie faced stiff competition from Wal-Mart and entrance into the local market said Clemson University finance professor John Alexander I imagine doing is keeping the most profitable store and selling the least profitable Mr Alexander said The supermarkets once known by the slogan Beef put their customers first said Belton resident Grace Callahan 66 She stopped by the Winn-Dixie on East Greenville Street to buy diapers peaches and doughnut holes before taking her grandchildren to swimming lessons like to be helped That what I like here they take groceries Mrs Callahan said When Winn-Dixie closes its Belton store Ingles will be the only supermarket left Tri-County Anderson campus closer to reality Some residents will miss low prices and to build the first building a 40000-square-foot complex of classrooms laboratories and meeting space The Anderson campus expected to focus on continuing education is part of a strategy to decentralize some of Tri-County teaching and services to meet the 15-year goal of a two-thirds increase in enrollment to more than 7200 students A Powdersville or Easley campus also is being considered The Anderson campus is targeted for opening at some time in 2007 said Linda Elliott vice president of institutional advancement Nicholas Charalambous can be reached at (864) 260-1256 or by e-mail at charalambousneIndependent- Mailcom BY NICHOLAS CHARALAMBOUS Anderson Independent-Mail A new Anderson campus for Tri-County Technical College got closer to reality Tuesday after the Anderson County Council approved $8 million in financing for land and construction fortunate Anderson County has supported the college for a long said Wayne Fogle the vice president for business affairs The council unanimously approved low-interest borrowing of the money from the South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority Ms Fogle said the $8 million was estimated to be enough to acquire 40 acres on property close to Michelin Boulevard and SC 28 Bypass Langston said know what going to do Winn-Dixie has done a lot for the Hartwell Ga community said 41-year-old Tim Evans manager of the Advance Auto Parts next door to location on East Franklin Street in Hartwell remember a time when there a Winn-Dixie in Hartwell and been here a really long Mr Evans said Advance Auto Parts also plans to leave the shopping center for another location nearby on East Franklin Street By the end of this year Family Dollar could be the only one of the three stores to remain at the shopping center Family Dollar weathered new competition this year from said Lisa Evans manager of the Family Dollar and Mr wife She expected the store to survive as the only store in the shopping center here by ourselves or someone else comes in try to keep our good she said Wendy Weinhold can be reached at (864) 260-1248 or by e-mail at weinholdwmIndependentMailcom Anderson Independent-Mail reporters Nathan Golden and Crystal Boyles contributed to this report FROM PAGE 1A professor of marketing at the University of South Moore School of Business you hope is that someone recognizes the area is viable and have other grocery chains come in to serve the Mr Crockett said got to eat Grocery stores have high profit margins but they do have high Winn-Dixie has been the backbone of the Windsor Place shopping center since it opened on East Greenville Street in Anderson in 1978 said center owner Tom Langston knew they were having Mr Anderson Council passes county budget UPCOMING MEETINGS Anderson County Council took the following votes at its special meeting Tuesday: 4-3 to adopt the fiscal $110 million 005-2006 budget Council members Cindy Wilson Michael Thompson and Bill McAbee dissented 6-0 to amend an amendment clarifying limiting cuts to the general fund to transportation public safety and affairs Ms Wilson abstained 6-0 to eliminate an amendment limiting cuts to the general fund to transportation public safety and affairs Ms Wilson abstained 1-6 to reallocate $82000 to the budget line item for auditing and accounting to support expanded audit procedures Ms Wilson dissented 2-5 to require prior Council approval of all budget transfers in excess of $2500 The council took the following votes at its regular meeting Tuesday: 7-0 to support the issuance by the South Carolina Jobs-Economic Development Authority of its economic development revenue bonds for the Tri-County Technical College Foundation LLC project in an amount not to exceed $8 million 7-0 to cease county maintenance and consent to judicial abandonment on Campbell Road and granting encroachment permits 7-0 to spend $2000 from council member Fred recreation account for Good Neighbor Cupboard 7-0 to spend $1000 from council member Mr recreation account for Richard Campbell Veterans Nursing Home 7-0 to spend $2000 from council member Gracie recreation account for the Anderson County Arts Council 7-0 to spend $400 from council member Larry recreation account for the Iva American Legion post The 4-3 approval of the budget at a meeting Tuesday night capped what most council members agreed was the most challenging budget season since Mr Preston arrived in 1998 But a finance staff report Tuesday warned the council that next budget process taking place in the heat of primary election season could be worse The compromise which was amended from an original $112 million proposal that would have resulted in a 6-mill increase included more than $1 million in equipment and personnel costs that are effectively deferred until next year Sheriff David Crenshaw also has made it clear try again to get the other $165 million he originally wanted money that he said would help fix years of insufficient investment at the office Fiscal conservatives had held out hope that counterproposals by Cindy Wilson and Michael Thompson might find the money for the sheriff without raising taxes but a finance staff analysis found both plans were mathematically unworkable FROM PAGE 1A a 2-percent pay hike And the Anderson County Council got to do all of that by raising property taxes by just 2 mills to 77 mills without service cuts all at an added cost that would leave change from a $10 bill for the owner of a $100000 home and a $10000 car think it was a miracle the way it said council member Fred Tolly a retired banker and a council centrist The was County Administrator Joey llth-hour alternative to delay general-fund hiring instead of seeking operations cuts to departments as a way to find a third of the new money think done the county a service by what said council member Larry Greer the main architect of the 2-mill compromise Only council member Gracie Floyd the lone Democrat expressed heartburn over the budget agreement which she vehemently opposed but voted to pass All council members agreed at the end of the meeting they would like to see the budget process begin earlier next year Nicholas Charalambous can be reached at (864) 260-1256 or by e-mail at charalambousncIndependentMailcom.