The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 04, 1981, Page Page 2, Image 2
News briefs
Hostage smuggled out diary
KRAKOW, Mo. (AP) ? Marine Sgt. Rocky Sickmann
kept a diary while a captive in Iran and managed to
smuggle it out by concealing it in his trousers leg, a
spokesman for the former hostage says.
Attorney William Kimme of Washington, Mo., who has
been handling the affairs of the Sickmann family, has said
that talks were under way with a New York literary agent
who came to St. Louis on Friday to see the diary.
Kimme said Sickmann began keeping the diary over a
year ago and managed to keep the papers with him
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The attorney said Sickmann smuggled the diary out by
sticking it into his trousers leg when he was told he was to
be freed.
Sickmann had been told he would be permitted to take
the diary out in his luggage, Kimme said, but the 24-yearold
Marine was suspicious of his captors.
Kimme said thp Hinrv i? v-mi;^ ? ?"
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successfully brought out of Iran by the hostages.
Senator indicted, on charges
(AP) ? State Sen. Gene Carmichael has been indicted
on federal charges of conspiring to buy votes, vote buying,
and obstruction of justice in connection with the June 10
Dillon County Democratic primary.
If found guilty, Carmichael, his Lake View office
manager, retired postmaster Joe Grady Flowers; and
Mazel J. Arnette could each draw a maximum penalty of
70 years in prison and a $135,000 fine, Lydon said.
The state senator and 11 others indicted by a federal
grand jury Monday will be arraigned in Florence Feb. 12,
U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Lydon, Jr. said. Lydon said the
cases will go to court within two months.
However, no Senate action will be taken against the 53year
old Democrat from Lake View, S.C., unless he is
convicted, state Sen. Rembert Dennis, a key senate
leader, said Monday night in a broadcast interview.
Airlines request fare hikes
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The major U.S. airlines are
requesting emergency fare increases because of higher
fuel prices, including those expccted from President
Reagan's order lifting the remaining price controls on
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The Civil Aeronautics Board is expected to review the
request quickly, CAB spokesman Ted Lopatkiewicz said
Monday.
The Air Transportation Association, which represents
the nation's major airlines and other carriers, asked the
CAB to increase the standard fare level to reflect the
higher fuel costs the airlines must pay, said Bill Jackman,
spokesman for the association.
The association's petition does not ask for an increase of
a specific size.
Local youth dies of burns
(AP) ? A 15-year-old youth has died of burns he suffered
in an accident inside a 23 ooo vnlt pWtri^ai
sformer.
David Herbert died late Sunday at th^ burns center at
Doctors Hospital in Augusta, Ga., one day after he was
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Officials said Sunday a door to the privately owned
transformer was not locked and there was no security
fence around it. Investigators also said there are no signs
posted warning that the transformer is dangerous.
The transformer is one of four used to power Dutch
Square shopping center in northwest Columbia.
"There was no fence, and the door was unlocked," the
youth's uncle Darrell Herbert said. "There was no way a
15-year-old boy could have broken the lock. He was like a
lot of little boys just killing time. He thought it was a
dumpster."
Officials said doors to all transformers were locked
Sunday.
Dennis Building opening
(AP> ? The Rembert C. Dennis office hnildina th*?
newest structure on the state capitol complex, will be
ready in two weeks for state agencies to begin moving in,
officials say.
The S.C. Wildlife and Marine Resources Department
will be the first agency to begin moving. The agency will
move in data processing equipment in two weeks, and by
the end of March, 470 employees from seven state
agencies will be in the building.
The $8.4 million structure was built around the shell of
the old state highway department building.
Other occupants of the Dennis building will be the Attorney
General's Office, Adjutant General's Office, Ethics
commission, most of the Research and Statistical
Division of the State Budget and Control Board,
Legislative Information Services and Clemson University's
legislative lobbyist.
Mayor calls for officers
ATLANTA, (AP) ? Atlanta should use any means
necessary to beef up its police force, which otherwise
cannot adequately protect the city and solve crimes in
eluding the cases of 17 slain and missing children, according
to Mayor Maynard Jackson.
Delivering his "State of the City" address Monday,
Jackson called for 160 officers ? at the rate of 40 every
three months ? to be added to the 1,300-member this year.
"Our challenge as parents is clear ? we must encircle
our children with love and with our caring as we have
never done before," Jackson said. "We must look out for
each other."
"This tragedy is not just headlines about unknown,
distant people," Jackson said. "This is our burden, this is
our lament, this is our great challenge."
1 Belk honored
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WINNSBORO (AP) ? Freed hostage William
Belk has returned to the town where he grew up
and has told residents the honors should be given
to eight service men who died in a failed attempt
to rescue 52 Americans from Iranian captivity.
Belk, a 44-year-old communications specialist
with the State Department, presided over a tree
planting ceremony Sunday in honor of the freed
hostages.
Belk, who grew up in Winnsboro but now lives
in West Columbia, helped town officials plant 52
crape myrtle trees near an armory building. He
asked that the "William Belk Tree" be renamed
after the eight men who died in the aborted
rescue attempt in April.
"The men who died in hopes that they would
rescue us should be honored much more than
us," Belk told about 1,000 persons who turned out
to welcome him home.
"To be on the level of honor that they are is far
above the level that we should ever be," he said.
Belk, who was freed from captivity in Iran
Jan. 20, recieved several placques and
mememtoes from politicians and dignitaries. He
also listened to music presented by grade school
! children and the Winnsboro High School band.
He was accompanied by his wife Angela, his
two sons by a previous marriage, his 86-year-old
grandmother Mamie Belk, and several aunts,
uncles, and cousins.
Seated on the stage with Belk was Webster
Anderson, a Congressional Medal of Honor
i winner from Winnsboro. He lost three limbs
during the Vietnam War.
Anderson said he is glad Belk and the other
hostages are home, but he understands the
bitterness of Vietnam veterans who say they
were ignored when they returned home.
"Some were in 24 months and came back with
missing limbs." he said. "Nobodv welcomed
them home because it was an unpopular war."
Anderson said the government is trying to
make something of the hostages' return to show
the United States is unified.
"Nobody here knew nothing about me," he
said. "If I hadn't been a congressional Medal of
Honor winner, if they hadn't called me from
Washington, they (Winnsboro residents) never
| would have known about me."
Anderson later was honored by Winnsboro
residents.
'Pay is good'
(AP) ? The pay is good ? up to *n charge
$15,000 a night ? for helping on a came to s
marijuana smuggling operation, and him to di
most of those involved give little $5,000.
thought to penalties, says a veteran of t?ld
the illegal trade. c^re whai
The marijuana smuggler was in- said. Fro
terviewed by The State, which more inv<
published the interview Tuesday in a successfu
special section on marijuana eight mon
smuggling in South Carolina. His "...Thej
identity was withheld at the request of ?ne night'
the State Law Enforcement Division. "And, ree
which hopes to get his cooperation in any work
its efforts against other marijuana I guess,
smugglers, the newspaper said. 1 N
Asked if he had any moral reser- airport ar
vations about his work, the smuggler $15,000," I
said, "It's the money. It's hard to turn busted, I <
down that much money. Also, it's kind working
of exciting. I kind of rlninu it things woi
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? lounging around the motel, all 1 ne cr?
expenses paid, the escort service, the brought ii
high rolling." "About 1whole
op<
He said he got involved when a man own thing
Today at USC
Basketball Doubleheader. USC woi
vs. Florida A&M at 6 p.m. and USC men
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"England, Scotland and Wales/* at 8 j
in the Russell House Ballroom. Tickets $
for the public; free for USC students.
ItH Films ? "She Done Him Wrong,"
"The Bank Dick" plus Fox Movietonew
2:30 p.m. for 75 cents and at 7 and 9:45 j
for $1.
Weather
Wednesday: Clear and cold. Low in the
Hitfh in the mid-30s.
Thursday: Continued clear and cold. Lo
the 20 s. High in the 40s.
.
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(JSC siudent Mark Farmer admires the collection of Beetle
paraphernalia being displayed outside of the Russell
House theatre. (Photo by Chip Lowell}
in pot smuggling
of the smuggling operation in. Four or six would be unloading,
ee him on his job and asked fwn wnniH fiw?iir?o
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ive a truck to Atlanta for one or two on the lookout, then two or
three with generators and vacuum
him that for $5,000 I don't cleaners to clean out the plane."
t's in it ? I'll drive it," he Unloading took only about 15
m that beginning, he got minutes, he added.
olved. takine nart in oioht ?? " ' '
0 ,? -*o"v uc actiu nc generally irusiea me
I operations over a period of people running the operations. "The
ths, he added. operators are easy-going, nice people
' would pay me, say, just for ? just regular people, some of the
s work, $15,000," he added. nicest people you'll ever meet," he
ally, in my job there wasn't added.
in it ? just taking a chance,' _ .. ~ ,. . ...
J The South Carolina Legislature is
vas working the primary considering making the penalties for
,h ail umn? t ? ^ drue smucrcrlin?? tnudh^r nut th*?
he added''''I*fthe pfane'got J *8*1?1" *a\5e ne"er gaVC mUCh
Jidn't get anything If I was though to penalties.
the alternate airport, and "They had me pumped up so tight
rked out, I would get $7,500." about, if I would get caught, how they
w to unload the plane were would get me out, and the money was
n from elsewhere, he said. so good and I knew the well would
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t ate nwucu in me never run ary, I just never thought
sration. Each man had his about it.I didn't know what the law
; to do when the plane came was. I <iidn'teven think about it."
Southern Rf>U
in rate hike case
(AP) ? Southern Bell Iast y^1* and a *3? million
, m. Telephone Co. officials increase in March 1979, but
O <r A began presenting its case for Marsh said inflation had
a $39.6 million rate increase eroc,ecl the company s
Monday by telling the state earnin?s.
Public Service Commission "Inflation has caused
ana that even the 12 percent labor and capital costs to
sat increase sought by the escalate far beyond what our
).ni. company was not enough to jast increase allowed," said
attract investors. Marsh. "All our costs have
General Manager Harry gone up in all areas of our
Marsh told the commission business "
Monday that the phone
company, which serves Marsh said Bell needs a 16
about 750,000 customers in percent return on the
20s- South Carolina, needs to company's common stock to
more than double its current be competitive in the capital
7 percent return on the market. But Steve Hamrn of
iv in company's operations in the the state consumer adstate
to attract investors. vocate's office said "a figure 1
IBel! received a $21 million ()* 13 percent is more in the 1
rate increase from the PSC proper range B