University of South Carolina Libraries
Judge orders test for suspect in killing GREENWOOD ? A judge has scheduled a competency hearing Thursday to determine whether James William Wilson, the man accused of killing two and injuring nine others during a September school shooting spree, is able to stand trial. The move came Monday after the 19-year-old Wilson unsuccessfully tried tor the second time in less tnan a weeK 10 enier a piea ui gumy uui mentally ill to murder charges. Wilson faces the possibility of the death penalty in connection with the shooting deaths this past September of two Greenwood schoolchildren. Seven students and two teachers were wounded in the shooting spree at Oakland Elementary. Wilson's attorneys Monday also filed new motions for a speedy trial and a change of venue in the case. - Search still on for suspect in Teets case LEXINGTON ? The search continues for a man suspected in the kidnapping of a Lexington teenager. Authorities from six agencies searched Monday from Columbia County, Ga., for Richard D. Starrett, charged in federal and state warrants with the kidnapping of 17-year-old Shari Dawn Teets Feb. 6. Starrett's red sports car was spotted by authorities as recently as Sunday night in the Aiken and Augusta, Ga., areas, but Metts would not elaborate on the sightings. The manhunt at first centered on Martinez, Ga., where Starrett lived and Teets told authorities she was held captive until her escape early Saturday. Teets, a Lexington High School senior, told authorities she was abducted at gunpoint from her family's house a week ago by a man answering an advertisement for a water bed. Meanwhile, Metts said authorities want to question Starrett in connection with at least four other South Carolina disappearances, abductions or sexual assaults that, like Teet's abduction, took place after a man answered a want ad. Option sales tax sparks controversy CHARLESTON ? About 190 officials from around South Carolina are planning to converge on the state capital to rally lawmakers behind the local option sales tax, but at least one state lawmaker says the proposal is a "Trojan horse." The municipal officials will travel to Columbia Tuesday for a two-day strategy session. They are seeking Legislative support for a 1 cent-per dollar local option sales tax, which they say will provide them with an alternate so'.rce of revenue and allow property taxes to be rolled back to help home wners. Bi' .'he proposal, backed by both the S.C. Association of Counties and the Municipal Association, "is a Trojan horse," Sen. Glenn McConnell said. Agency to look into Rock Hill cave-in ROCK HILL ? An investigation into what caused a cave-in at a construction ditch is being done by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a division of the state Department of Labor. QSHA would investigate today the site where two Fort Mill men were buried under several tons of dirt while working in a ditch at a condominium development here, York County Emergency Preparedness Director Cotton Howell said. It took Rock Hill rescue workers nearly four hours of digging to recover the bodies of Robert Turner, 49, and another two hours to find Jim Hawkins, 35, in the 12-foot ditch. York County Coroner Jim Chapman said the men died within five or six minutes from a combination of suffocation and blunt force that prevented their lungs from expanding. The two were found buried 14 feet apart, Chapman said. While Turner had unsuccessfully tried to run from the falling dirt, Hawkins was stuck as the baoL.caved in, said Parker, who watched his workers get buried. Rocjc Hill*city<$jreet and construction crews, as well as the Rock Hill Rescue Squad, Piedmont Medical Center Emergency Medical Service, Rock Hill Fire Department, York County Sheriff's Department and Rock Hill Police were on the scene. 1 For the Record Articles in this past week's editions of The Gamecock contained two errors about candidates running for Student Government. Presidential candidate James Smith was misidentified as a sophomore. He is a junior. John Leary, a candidate for vice president, was incorrectly listed as science major. He is a political science sophomore. The Gamecock regrets the errors. ? ? : 's/ss/ss/ws's, TATT T Q P-FM~ 90.5 VI V V! 11 ALTERNATIVE ~y Golden Key National Honor Society Mopfintr AL^sM> fWiont C ? l/oiiciiii v. Thursday - Feb. 16 At 6:00pm oC^\ Student Life Conference Center ft vjf of the Russell House /. VlMf7\ West end, Lower Level GK n8 /J . :: c< "Lorri is the only candidate J )) that has a plan for the future in attacking the problems at f~\ \ USC" ii U Paul Fulmer I % ^p^HH^' &8&1 4 w 't w& 31 H_? z. i_ . Photo courtesy 0 Turning the other cheek Nursing senior Adrienne Allen gives blood at the Red Cross blood drive in the ( Tuesday. The drive was sponsored by Delta Zeta sorority. Debate Continued from page 1 dent's pay by saying the money can through the Legislature. She said her rem; be used in better ways. lack of Student Senate experience "Tuition is the most important would not pose a problem if she were one issue ? the cost of higher education elected. rest as a whole," Ramsdale said. She said "The president doesn't deal only tion students need a voting member on with Student Senate, but with state cam the Board of Trustees. An effort was Senate, business leaders, administra- Si made previously toward this end, she tion and students," said Shealy, serv- resp said. "But the administration lob- ed as a student senator for a short ask bied against this effort." time during her freshman year. "I that Shealy said the tuition problem am qualified to be Student Govern- the < hinged on full-formula funding and ment president." Si that it needed to be addressed The candidates gave closing issui 'jptjour/ffia/itt/ef f| h CPU Programs Cinematic Arts ^ )nes, Feb. 15; Die Hard, Feb. 16, 17, 18; Rosemary's Baby, Feb. 17, 18; 3^ Russell House ^ 9:00 pm I PU?,.i HH.PP _ V J Ldie onuvv i i.uu pin @0/^ ontemporary Sounds Group Sax In The Spur r^Z/}) Thursday, February 16 y| 8:00 pm Special Programs r;^ Marty Putz vq In The Spur Tuesday, February 21 W)3wty 7:30 pm For more info call 777-7130 J These activities are funded, in part, by Student Activities Fees. p \ L-J -v).?CS i.p'.'-j*?}wj/ 7\ ( o TTff r Jd&flrlv Jj|1 "QJO'1 f ^<7oannou?{ Honors college trying to attract black students By RON BAKER Staff writer Seven of the 600 students in USC's South Carolina College are black. Honors college students and administrators said this is a problem that demands solutions from both students and I faculty, but such solutions have not come easily. The most basic problem noted by students and professors is that black students are more apprehensive than white students about applying to SCC. William Mould of the honors college said he recalls no black applicants to SCC last year, although at least 20 black students who entered USC last fall were qualified on the basis of grades and test scores. SCC has tried to enroll more blacks mostly by using present black honors college students to recruit at S.C. high schools, said James Stiver, also of SCC. But this strategy is limited because of regulations imposed by the state's Education Improvement Act, Mould said. SCC has recruited black students more heavily over the past year than ever before, Stiver said. Stiver considers Carolina Tipoff, a recent USC recruiting event aimed primarily at minorities, to be potentially very useful to the honors college. Inquiries by black students are responded to as much as possible, Mould said. The problem, he said, is the small number of inquiries actually made by minorities in general. Encouraging is the fact that three of the 20 students named Carolina Scholars this year are black, Stiver said. There is no guarantee, though, that those high school W seniors will enter the honors college or even choose to at1 tend USC in the fall. James Franklin, currently USC's Student Government president and a black student in SCC, was offered an apIII Plication t0 the honors college himself and put off apply% ? m because of his personal apprehensions. "The main reason was the fact that the college was predominantly white. There were only two or three blacks at the time," Franklin said. He added that the Ivy League standards of the college is intimidating to all students, Ti black and white. This reluctance is a common problem, Stiver said. He said that there is a perception problem among blacks that , the honors college was designed to perpetuate HHm epprpgatinn Franklin now speaks of the prestige in SCC membership. "I'm one of the biggest fans this college has," he said. jolden Spur The Student Senate Academic Committee addressed the situation Feb. 12, but members have thus far chosen not to comment. arks after student questioning. for years and years and years." Fie Before I close I'd like to make said the answer was a president who plea: I'd like us to try to keep the would work with the Legislature, of this election a positive elec- "That's the type of leadership this ," Shealy said, referring to the student body needs," he said, paign's controversy. Helton said the next president will upporters of all candidates face many problems. "1 want to be a onded with cheers. "I'd like to problem-solving president." students to vote for the person Ramsdale said her experience in projects the image you want for S.G. was an asset and that through entire university," Shealy said. her involvement she had made a dif nith said, "We've had the same ference. "My record shows I care," ;s, the same problems addressed Ramsdale said. I^^^LJLiJil^H