The Beaufort Gazette from Beaufort, South Carolina • 1

She Seaufort Gazette Wednesday March 18 1981 Beaufort South Carolina 29902 15 Cents Per Copy Broadcaster slain car theft charge lodged Jacksonville cops laavHAAUD page bprsco ypty councilmen from pay hikeotes Still five Beaufort County counalmen appear to be prohibited lit the past though Horne rareiv vnua 7 I employees Call us with a story idea 524 3183 Wednesday evening CHARLES BELL BODY TAKEN ONSTRETCHER teen ager found slain broadcaster near Early Branch received $152000 with less scrutiny than JCH he said It is not giving the same service as JCH he added Roland Gardner executive director of Comprehensive Health said there was con siderable debate whether to conduct the audit the physicians voted to request the Gardner said The rules of the meeting were also changed according to Gardner Only board members were to discuss the budget No public comment was to be allowed But Gardner found himself answering questions similar to the ones he and other Comprehensive Health members an swered March 5 at a review meeting almost started public debate he said Richardson said the questioning at the board meeting raises a serious denial of due process by excluding public input The applicant is there and expecting only minor questions but Gardner was questioned for approximately one hour he said If the audit is approved Comprehensive Health will be facing its second audit since September HHS requested the first audit after learning JCH overspent its 1980 budget Girls allowed Basic training for female recruits at Parris Island now inchides learning to shoot among other fine points of defense Pvt Deborah Lien gets instructions from her firing coach daring target practice at Parris Island Tuesday More training of women recruits is scheduled later in the week MalyOantt Because of problems in collecting patient fees however the hospital is allowing for $10000 in ui collected fees from May 1 Sept 30 the end of fiscal year 1981 Bogan said The rate hike Tiuav aazwin zi'' Last August the board approved a $731 million budget driving the cost of semi private rooms and the cost of private rooms up $5 both for routine and general services The August action also increased the cost of rooms in the nursery intensive care unit and operating wards In March 1979 the board approved a J2 rate hike to (See RATES page 14) by the board of search committee at 7 30 a an Thursday The board win meet 5 pm Monday night to select its top choice and an alternate Lengnicksaid A public announcement will follow ac ceptance by one of the candidates he said The new administrator probably would be expected to begin wok 30 days after selected he said (SeePKXEDpsgeH) annear tn ho nmhihitoH by state law from voting on proposed salary hikes for district employees including annual pay hike proposals submitted at budget time The most obvious is St Helena Councilman William McBride a science teacher at Beaufort High School Also aooarentlv affected hv the rlonicinn CO Councilman Grady 'Thames Sheldon Councilman Joseph Kline and at large Councilman Mnrrfa CnmnhAii urhnca niivov wsvwa wvifk The ethics commission opinion also appears to prevent Council Chairman Arthur Horne whose son is employed bythe district from legally voting on proposed pay hikes for district In Pflrlipr nntninnfl Hia il luuuiuaaivii uas ueau wiui umi a majority of council members are prohibited from voting on pay hike proposals The recommendations not included in opinion because the commission was not told how many councilmen in Beaufort would be affected are that: Proposed pay hikes should be voted on separately from other budget proposals commission vote does not mean councilmen with household members employed by the district are prohibited from voting on the school budget proposal provided the (See RULING page 14) Hospital administrator may be picked Monday The next full time administrator of Beaufort Memorial Hospital may be selected Monday night the board chairman said today Beaufort Qty Manager Ed Duryea and acting hospital Administrator James White both among the seven finalists for the job were interviewed Tuesday said Chairman Alfred Lengnick All other finalists have been interviewed but one who is scheduled for an interview Tri tho nnci fkrttirrk 1 I Mivugss xjvxiie rdiriy nas voiea on any budget enough for a quorum Daxersaia After investigating a complaint the commission could impose administrative or disciplinary action or recommend criminal prosecution by the SC Attorney Office An official found in violation of the state act which attempts to prohibit the use of public office for private gain could face a fine of up to $1000 90 days imprisonment or both Bakersaid If ruling by the ethics commission does affect all five councilmen votes on proposed pay hikes for district em ployees could involve only four councilmen normally not even we have tor Bogan told the board which adopted the rate hike without dissent The rate hike was proposed after American Ap praisal a national company that operates out of Milwaukee Wise informed the hosnitel it had budgeted about 17000 a month less ttan it should have for denrerifittwi nf tHo hAcmttni kiiiMinn wuuvmig any equipment Dogan said Hie budget includes $26000 a month for depreciation while the appraisal company said the hospital should have budgeted $34000 a month Bogan has projected the rate hike will mean an additional $51635 to the hospital for the last five months of the fiscal year more than enough to make up the shortfall Volume 84 Number 229 14 Pages 1 stop men car By JIM POLSON GttltW writer JACKSONVILLE la A 28 year old Early Branch man has been charged with the theft of slain Lowcountry broadcaster Charles ell car Hampton County Sheriff James reeman said this morning he is awaiting results of an autopsy and examination of other evidence before deciding whether to file more charges Bell 60 had owned WSIB AM in Beaufort Interim operators took over the station this year after Bell lost a long legal battle to keep the license Bell still owned WDOG in Allendale and founded WDXY in Sumter His body was discovered Tuesday morning in a field south of Early Branch Investigators later found evidence indebating Bell may have surprised a silver thief at his Hampton home Billy Eugene Brooker who reportedly had worked for Bell at his home was arrested before midnight in a Jacksonville apartment said Police Det A Bass reeman said he may question Brooker in Jacksonville today or Thursday A bond hearing is scheduled this afternoon Bass said Police stopped two Jacksonville men in car and the two led them to Brooker Bass said Brooker had a 22 caliber pistol with him when he was arrested but Bass said police know whether it had been fired An Early Branch teenager Bennett raser found body in a brush pile about two miles south of Early Branch around 10 am Tuesday said 14th Circuit Solicitor Randolph Murdaugh Jr Early Branch is about 15 miles southeast of Hampton Bell had been shot in the back of the head Investigators speculated he was shot on a dirt road and dragged a short distance Bell may have surprised a silver thief Murdaugh said In vestigators found sterling silver and silverplated items in a Jim PoisonGazett me uvmg ammg room Murdaugh said Three guns including a 22 caliber pistol may be missing from the home reeman said There was no sign of a struggle and the house not in Murdaugh said See CHARG Oaee 141 Beaufort Memorial to hike rates By DAVID BUSHMAN GawlttiUH writer A $5 a day rate hike for rooms at Beaufort Memorial Hospital was approved Tuesday by the board of directors Hie rate increase the second in the last seven months becomes effective May 1 when the cost for a semi private room jumps to $S9 a day and the cost for a private room increases to $94 a day The increases affect only patients who enter the hospital for routine and general services said Joe Bogan BMH comptroller The hospital's nursery and intensive care units are not affected Bogan said "We think justified because the costs for room and board are considerably higher than the charges waiwiiv wruwr COLUMBIA State law prohibits Beaufort County coun cilmen who work for the school district or have household members employed by the district from voting on proposed pay hikes for district employees a state panel voted Tuesday ive councilmen appear to be affected by the SC State Ethics Commission decision though none are identified by name in the f'nmmicainn AnmiAn VVUmtWOlUll QVpUtAUH County Administrator Mike who requested the for the school district upuuun di vumivu instruction oio not name councumen wno work for the district or have household members the district employs in his request said Gary Baker executive director of the commission JCH budget approval may hinge on new audit By DEBRA HEAD Geiette staff writer Within six months the Beaufort Jasper Comprehensive Health Services may be facing its second audit of the year This a udit was requested Monday by a vote of 16 to 10 by the state board of directors of the Palmetto Lowcountry Health Systems Agency as a condition for approval of Comprehensive $41 million budget The budget which has been approved by both the review com mittee and the 26 member board of directors and the request for the audit must now be approved by the Department of Health and Human Services in Atlanta I think the condition is ridiculous The same agency that funds the Comprehensive Agency and HHS is cuttting budgets because Congress is cutting said David Richardson a vice chairman of the board of directors and the chairman of review committee which approved the budget March 5 in Summerville The funds used for the audit will decrease the amount of funding available for the clinics A program for Allendale which has been funded for two years but found a doctor if 11 KlMiIsSrwsv ft? uiwtWL i.