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STATE GOP seeks inquiry of document shredding COLUMBIA (AP) — Republican leaders Thursday called for state agents to investigate allegations that the head of the Department of Juvenile Justice ordered pub lic documents shredded. The worker who scheduled ap pointments for DJJ Director Gina Wood said in a sworn state ment that Wood asked the em ployee to destroy documents af ter Republicans requested copies of them under the state's open records law. Republicans want the State Law Enforcement Division to in vestigate the alleged shredding and send agents to other Cabinet agencies to secure other docu ments the GOP is supposed to get from a Freedom of Information Act request that was filed in re cent months. Those documents include copies of an e-mail written by a Hodges staffer about a company with ties to the governor's former chief of staff. Hodges’ office told Republicans last month that it canndt find any such e-mail. Gas tax becoming a hot topic in election COLUMBIA (AP) - State Democratic Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian says a pro posed gas-tax increase is scaring voters in South Carolina. Republican gubernatorial can didate Mark Sanford wants to eliminate the state’s income tax. To make ends meet, he would add the state's sales tax to gaso line, effectively raising taxes on gas by five cents on the dollar. Sanford says eliminating the state income tax over 18 years would stimulate the economy. Harpootlian said he doubts the income tax reduction would ever be implemented. “The last time the government kept a promise 18 years from now was never,” Harpootlian said. Sanford’s spokesman Will Folks said the Republicans’ plan starts cutting income taxes im mediately. NATION Economy rebounds after investments WASHINGTON (AP) -The U S. economy, powered by strong auto sales, rebounded to a 3.1 percent annual growth rate in the summer as business investment, which had been the major no-show in the current recovery, turned up for the first time in two years. The third-quarter increase in the gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic activity, was hailed by a cam paigning President Bush as a sign of better days ahead for an economy that has been battered by a recession, terrorist attacks, corporate accounting scandals and a plunging stock market. “We're kind of moving our way toward a time when people can find work, but there's more to do,” Bush told a campaign au dience in South Dakota. But Democrats, who have sought to make the weak econo my an issue in the battle over control of Congress, said that the summer strength had already faded and warned that the econ omy is once again flirting with a Dossible recession. Sniper rifle linked to Alabama shooting MONTGOMERY, ALA. (AP) - New forensic and ballistics evi dence indicates the rifle used in the Washington-area sniper shootings may also have been the weapon in a September slay ing in Alabama, police said Thursday. In a brief statement, the Montgomery Police Department said it was told late Wednesday by federal firearms officials that “based on new evidence there are reasons to believe” the same rifle was used in the sniper shootings and the Montgomery case. The statement came after the Washington Post reported that new testing had linked the rifle found in sniper-suspect John Allen Muhammad's car with the gun used in the Sept. 21 shooting outside a Montgomery liquor store. WORLD 3 nations oppose U.S. acting alone UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.S. demand for speedy U.N. ac tion on Iraq has run into strong opposition from Russia, France and China, who want Washington to change a draft resolution and eliminate any li cense for the United States to attack Baghdad on its own. The three veto-holding Security Council members want to ensure that Iraq is giv en a chance to cooperate with U.N. weapons inspectors before any military action is autho rized - and they're now waiting to see what the United States and Britain are going to do to address their concerns. After a third meeting council session Wednesday on the U.S. proposal, Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador Gennady Gatilov said Moscow still has “quite a number of problems” with the U.S. draft, centered on the auto matic authorization to use force. Quake crumbles school in Italy SAN GIUUANO Dl PUGLIA, ITALY (AP) — An earthquake jolted south-central Italy on Thursday, sending a nursery school roof crashing down on a class of preschoolers during a lunchtime Halloween party. At least five children in the school and two women in nearby homes were killed. Driven on by faint voices coming from the rubble, fran tic rescuers worked into the night to save more than a dozen children who remained trapped after the 5.4 magnitude quake struck the Molise region, shak ing the town of Campobasso and surrounding villages northeast of Naples. San Giuliano Di Puglia was the hardest hit. Anguished par ents kept a vigil outside the yel low schoolhouse, where 56 chil dren had been celebrating Halloween when the quake struck. Workers carried six dust-covered children from the rubble after nightfall. Halloween CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “When you go around the back, monsters come out and scare yqu. You have to run away from them.” After quickly catching their breath, the children bowled with pumpkins, threw darts at balloons, had their faced paint ed and squirted water at frater nity brothers dressed as mon sters. Each fraternity and sorority was paired with another, and each group had different decora tions and games for the visiting kids. The Fraternity and Sorority Council provided each group with candy and prizes. The kids' empty bags were soon full of Spiderman paddle balls, jumbo erasers, pencil sets and loads of candy. While the children ran through each attraction, the Greeks were laughing, talking among themselves and with the kids, and resetting the games. “I like working with kids and helping the community,” said Will Anderson, a third year geography student and Delta Tau Delta member. “Is this a school?” Antonio asked. The children were exposed to a college environment ajid are Budget CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 eliminating 40 other education al programs, including the LEAP state scholarships. “Over the years, we've seen it (Pell Grants) up and down in terms of certain programs,” said Michelle Wright, assistant di rector of USC Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. She said Pell Grant amounts have in creased. If the budget calls for down sizing financial aid, USC will feel the effects. “We have to work within the guidelines. If pro grams are cut, there's nothing we can do,” Wright said. Wright said students have not yet voiced much concern. But now aware of what they might achieve one day. “It's a good experien6e for both groups because the two are so different,” Harden said. “It's good to get them on a college campus.” Gentry McCreary, a graduate assistant in the Greek Life Office, contacted Harden and asked whether the Boys and Girls Club would be interested in getting the two groups together for Halloween. The club’s members were excited. McCreary and the Fraternity and Sorority Council set up bus es for the 150 children. “The groups did most of the work, decorating, buying candy and setting up games,” McCreary said. The Greeks spent days plan ning their events. Sigma Nu and Kappa Delta spent three days decorating their haunted house with everything from coffins and tombstones to black lights and strobe lights. The Delta Tau Delta fraterni ty and the Delta Gamma sorori ty listened to scary tunes while doing some last-minute decorat ing with cobwebs and a huge spi der. “This is an attempt to do something with the Greek com munity as a whole,” said Kim Bryson, a fourth-year chemistry student and Delta Gamma mem ber. Each sorority and fraternity “I'm sure we will get some ques tions soon,” she said. A source from Miller's office who did not want to be identified said that this year the number of low-income people seeking Pell Grants has changed and at tributed the rising figure to the economy. The source also said that this year, President Bush did not formally request that the $4,000 Pell Grant be put on the ed ucation budget and was willing to decrease the amount of the grant in order to avoid a deficit. In 1998-99, Pell Grants were $3,000 and have increased by one third during just the past few years. The source, however, ex pects Pell Grants to drop back to $3,600 during the coming year. “We're still fighting over the budget right now, but I don't be . “I’d definitely do it again next year. I’m having fun, and they seem to be having fun. It’s good to see them happy.” LAUREN DAVIDSON FIRST-YEAR BUSINESS STUDENT AND A MEMBER OPALPHA DELTA PI SORORITY has its own separate philan thropy project, but the Halloween festival is a joint ef fort to benefit one organization. “This is Greek life's part to join together for one common cause,” said Anne Marie McNeil, Sorority Council presi dent. This is the first year that the Boys and Girls Club has celebrated Halloween with use. Lauren Davidson, a first-year business student and Alpha Delta Pi sorority member, watched the faces of the polite, eager children. “I'd definitely do it again next year,” she said. “I’m having fun, . and they seem to be having fun. It's good to see them happy.” Eight-year-old Devin Archie summed up the evening when he threw an open hand in the air and yelled, “Happy Halloween!” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail.com lieve when we get done we're go ing to have that increase,” Miller said in a telephone interview. Miller said he places educa tion at the top of his agenda be cause many students would be unable to attend college without federal aid. “It's the only means by which a lot of students are able to attend college,” he said. Two of Miller's sons attended USC, and the question remains whether students here — and na tionwide — will have their fi nancial burdens compounded or alleviated next year. Comments on this story?E-mail garnecockudesk@hotmail.com As Senior VP of Financial Planning at a major movie studio you could: OJC a $93 million budget Hire 7,500 extras I Rejit 273 Qjilm trees _ (and 1 big fan to make them sway) u < 3 | How do you get a job like this? Start today. 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