Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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South Cai nationwid News Roundup Associated Press CHARLESTON ? A person has less chance of being bitten by a shark than of being struck by lightning in South Carolina, which ranks fourth nationwide in the number of shark attacks, state marine biologists say. "Each year, we have instances, one, two or three a year, generally, when a swimmer will come in contact with a . shark. It's almost always a minor injury," said Charles Farmer, a spokesman for the Marine Resources Division of the state Natural Resources Department. Eight shark attacks off South Carolina shores, none fatal, were recorded between 1990 and 1997, Farmer said. From 1959 to 1990, the state had 10 reported shark attacks, none fa ?1 2 Bee i rri rmn Private bedroom Individual leases Computer lab Alarm systems Reserved parkin Fully equipped k Washer & dryer Fitness center / Swimming pool olina ran e in sharl tal. Some attacks involve fishermen handling still-live sharks, he said. Florida, Hawaii and California have recorded more shark attacks than South Carolina, Farmer said. As people flock to the seaside along the Lowcountry this summer, so are a variety of sharks up to 14 feet long that swarm to shallow, local inlets, estuaries, bays and even lower reaches of major rivers to give birth. Tigers, lemons, hammerheads and sand tigers make their summer homes there. Pregnant bonnetheads and Atlantic sharpnoses come to give birth in safe, quiet waters. Scalloped hammerheads and finetooth sharks love the North Edisto River and St. Helena Sound. They like Bull's Bay, too, as do spinners, blacknoses, duskies and smooth dogfish. Faster, more aggressive sharks stay offshore, where private and charter a Iran iroom / 2 E FPf s and baths H; AP ig ;itchen Rec room http :/i ks fourth t attacks boats prowl. The great white, the most feared of all sharks, keeps his distance ?. i i : rrom local swimmers. Bottom-feeding sharks accidentally bump into swimmers in murky local waters and probably take a bite in hopes of grabbing something much smaller than a human. "The shark reacts by biting and moves off," Farmer said. He can't recall a fatal shark attack here in his more than 30 years of watching. "Virtually every attack you could attribute to mistaken identity," said Glenn Ulrich, a fishery biologist at the Natural Resources Department who is studying shark nursery grounds in South Carolina. "At dusk and dawn, I wouldn't be in the water. It is peak feeding time for sharks. It's kind of tempting fate." ?ath Furnisf MIVERSITV ARTMENTS 800 Alexander Rd. MA Cayce, SC 29033 1 'www.capstone-i Honda intra fuel-efficieni News Roundup Associated Press 1 TOKYO ? Honda Motor Co. said Tfies- 1 day that its entry into the low-emission, fuel-efficient vehicle race will get ^ an estimated 80 miles per gallon when it goes on sale later this year. Japan's third-largest automaker said the aerodynamic two-seat coupe, unveiled in prototype form earlier this year at the Detroit auto show, will be called Insight and will be the world's most fuel-efficient, gasoline-powered, mass-production vehicle. The Insight uses a lightweight, oneliter, three-cylinder gasoline engine assisted by a small electric motor. The highly efficient "hybrid" powertrain, combined with the addition of lightweight plastic and aluminum body panels, results in the high mileage. According to preliminary U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates released by Honda, the car will get more than 70 mpg in combined city and highway driving and close to 80 mnrr rvn tiirrViurou uii i/iiv U N Rival Toyota Motor Corp. was the first to sell a hybrid gasoline-electric car in Japan, the Prius, in 1997. It will go on sale in the United States and Europe next year. The Prius gets an eslew! ied Apartme I I I rv i i Denina Karkiani Shopping1 I .t.h, ior fall 1 f9^-0444 ^ ^ ^ , t I dev.com duces new t vehicle timated 55 mpg in combined city and highway driving. Honda plans to beat Tbyota to the U.S. market by placing the Insight on sale nationwide in December. The car will go on sale in Japan in the fall, in Europe in December and in Canada next spring. The cars operate differently. While the Prius shifts between gasoline engine and electric motor, the Insight always uses the engine as its primary power source. The electric motor is instead used to boost the engine's power luring hard acceleration, spokesman \ndy Boyd said. An advantage of the Insight system is its battery is half the size of the Prius battery, which results in signif i. 'La * _ I ?:J cam weigm savings, uuyu soiii. Toyota's Prius also uses a conven;ional steel body, while the Insight nakes extensive use of aluminum and elastic. Honda said that resulted in a 10 percent weight savings over a conventional steel body. Honda also said it has developed a lew catalytic converter that will make vehicle emissions 50 percent cleaner han required by Japanese regulations slated for next year. Initial sales of the Insight are exlected to be modest. I ; jnts j d Plaza ] C pntpr i v/ I I VWI I )H