Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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.. n eitfn Off’ volunteers Project plans to remove illegally posted signs BY JESSICA CLANTON THEdAMECOCK “Operation Sign Off’ will be held this Saturday to sweep the | streets of Columbia and remove all illegally posted signs. Keep the Midlands Beautiful and Columbia’s Planning and Development Services Department < planned the event. “It is a fun way to clean up the community and be legal about taking down all the il legal signs that have bothered you in the past,” ’ said Vance k Kornegay, par ticipant in the event and associ ate professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications. The event comes days after Student Government election re sults were delayed because can didates refused to move their signs. “I think the USC elections rule is really cool, even if students don't care for it. For us, though, the signs around Columbia are illegal, ugly, and they can be come litter and even traffic haz ards,” said Mary Pat Baldauf, ex ecutive director of Keep the Midlands Beautiful. Illegal signs are considered to be signs posted within the pub lic right-of-way, especially those ^ posted on utility poles. “I don’t see a problem with il legal signs on campus. Most are just paper that can be easily po liced; in the community, howev er, the signs are larger, harder to remove and everywhere,” Komegay said. This is the second “Operation Sign Off.” During the first, held in November 2002 immediately after city elections, volunteers picked up more than 400 signs. “Even after that, crews still found many signs that we hadn’t noticed,” said Marc Mylott, zon ing administrator for Columbia. “This just goes to show how the signs are so common that they become part of the background oi me city, and that is a shame.” The kick off rally will be held at the Capital City Bombers’ Stadium. Volunteers will meet at 9 a.m. and choose an area of the city to cover. “We really target the signs that have been posted at in tersections because they could block driver’s views and cause accidents. We also try to remove the signs from utility poles such as ‘Lose Ten Pounds in One Day’ or ‘Make $5,000 in a Week,’ ” Balduafsaid. Mylott stresses that although this is an organized event, citi zens can remove any illegally placed signs at any time, as long as they are in the public right-of way. “We want to encourage peo ple to do this year round because the signs pop up so quickly,” Mylott said. “Only three weeks after the event, I cleaned up one of the already cleaned sites be cause there were around 50 al bum-release posters all over the utility poles.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail.com “I think the USC elections rule is really cool, even if students don’t care for it. For us, though, the signs around Columbia are illegal, ugly, and they can become litter and even traffic hazards.” MARY PAT BALDAUF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF KEEP THE MIDLANDS BEAUTIFUL STATE Educators lose jobs in budget crunch COLUMBIA - Thousands of South Carolina teachers are get ting word that they won’t have jobs next year as school admin istrators deal with state budget ^ cuts. Sumter District 2 says 47 teachers, guidance counselors and assistant principals won’t have jobs. In Orangeburg District 4, more than two dozen educators won’t be offered new contracts. Fewer teachers mean bigger classes and “parents need to know that the children will suf fer,” said Stacey Wilson, a fifth grade social studies teacher los ing her job at Edisto Elementary in Orangeburg 4. Up to 6,600 teachers are pro jected to lose their jobs, said Richard Miller, executive direc tor of the South Carolina Education Association. He’s been getting calls all week from teachers and administrators los f ing contracts. Bill would prevent hospital mistakes COLUMBIA — When Helen Haskell’s son, Lewis Blackman, died of complications from a rel atively routine surgery at'the Medical University of South Carolina, she knew she had to work for better patient safety. The bill, called the Lewis Blackman Hospital Patient Protection Act, attempts to open communication between hospi tals and patients. It would en sure patients are informed about who is providing their medical care and give them timely access to qualified, experienced physi cians. t NATION Professor indicted in bacteria scare LUBBOCK, TEXAS - A profes sor was indicted Thursday on federal charges accusing him of smuggling plague bacteria and lying when he said-vials of the dangerous germ had disap peared from a Texas Tech University lab last January. Thomas C. Butler, 61, triggered a terrorism-alert plan when he said 30 vials of the bacteria were missing. The FBI rushed dozens of agents to Lubbock. The professor later told the FBI he made a “misjudgment” by telling school authorities the vials were missing when he had actually destroyed them, ac cording to court document. Butler, chief of the infectious diseases division at Tech’s med ical school, has been placed on paid leave. Study finds rise in occasional smokers ATLANTA - Statistics released Thursday show a growing num ber of U.S. smokers aren’t light ing up as often, but federal offi cials say cutting back without quitting is as dangerous as not quitting. A comparison of annual state surveys conducted from 1996 to 2001 shows that while the per centage of smokers remained steady, the number who said , they smoked only occasionally rose in 38 states and the District of Columbia. Analysts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention point to increased cigarette prices, higher taxes and smoking bans in public areas as likely rea sons people are lighting up less. WORLD N. Korea: Avoid war by deterring military SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - North Korea said the Iraq war proved the need for it to main tain a strong military deterrent against the United States, as the communist nation’s withdraw • al from the global nuclear arms control treaty officially took ef fect Thursday. The North’s comments came a day after U.N. Security Council members said they were worried by North Korea’s standoff with Washington, but refused to con demn it for pulling out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. China and Russia had op posed condemning Pyongyang. Drawing parallels to the U.S. showdown with Iraq, North Korea said that bowing to de mands to abandon its suspected nuclear weapons development would lead to inspections and disarmament, setting the stage for a U.S. invasion. 28 deaf students die in Russian school fire MAKHACHKALA, RUSSIA - A fire at a Russian boarding school for deaf children Thursday killed 28 students. A total of 106 students from the Republican School for Deaf Children remained hospitalized. The blaze came on the heels of a fire that killed 22 students whose wooden schoolhouse burned to the ground in Siberia on Monday. In Moscow, Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov or dered an immediate fire safety survey of all Russian schools, particularly in rural areas, in an attempt to prevent any new tragedies. PHOTO BY TRISHA SHADWELL/THE GAMECOCK “Operation Sign Off” will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Capital City Bombers Stadium. Zoning administrator Marc Mylott encourages citizens to remove illegally posted signs any time, as long as they are in the public right-of-way. I POLICE REPORT These reports are taken directly from the USC Police Department. Compiled by Adam Beam. Each number on the map stands for a crime corresponding with numbered descriptions in the list below. DAY CRIMES (6a.m.-6p.m.) P Violent O Nonviolent NIGHT CRIMES (6 p.m.-6a.m.) ■ Violent # Nonviolent' CRIMES AT UNKNOWN HOURS □ Violent @ Nonviolent Tuesday, April 1 © LARCENY OF CREDIT CARDS, 819 BARNWELL ST. The victim said someone took her Visa card and Mastercard from her bag under her desk. The victim said that once she noticed the cards were missing, she called the card companies to cancel them. Estimated value: $1. Reporting officer: J.B. Coaxum. Friday, April 4 ® LARCENY OF PARKING METER, 1500 DEVINE ST. The complainant said someone took a parking meter and the post it was mounted on. It was unknown whether the meter contained any money. Reporting officer: G. Kerwin. Sunday, April 6 ® MALICIOUS INJURY TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, S-10 LOT, CAROLINA COLISEUM The victim said someone broke off her driver’s-side rearview mirror, causing minimal damage. Reporting officer: J. A. Clarke. Monday, April 7 © MALICIOUS INJURY TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, LOT 1, CAROLINA COLISEUM The victim said someone broke the driver’s-side rearview mirror of her car. The damage was minimal. Reporting officer: J.A. Clarke. Tuesday, April 8 © INFORMATION, NATIONAL ADVOCACY CENTER, 1620 PENDLETON ST. Reporting officer J.A. Clarke responded to a call about a man running with a rifle past the National Advocacy Center. All available USC units, as well as six Columbia Police Department units, moved toward the area. Several pedestrians pointed out the man’s path and progress, and the man was found at Lee Street in Columbia. He was identified as a current USC ROTC student. He was on a training run, carrying an inert, mock up M-16 rifle. The weapon was used for training purposes only and posed no threat to civilians. The USC Police Department took him back to his ROTC unit. Clarke met with an active-duty ROTC instructor and informed him of the incident. USC Mascot 'Cocky" Tryouts April 17, 2003: 4:45pm THE TRYOUT WILL BE HELD IN THE USC FIELDHOUSE (across from the USC Soccer Stadium) WE'LL MAKE IT WORTH YOUR WHILE TO WAKE UP INTRODUCING THE NEW BREAKFAST PANINI Our hearty breakfast Panini is made-to-order, just for you. You decide - with or without eggs, your choice of cheese plus bacon, ham or sausage (even tomatoes, if you like). Then, we'll grill it all on one of our select breads to start your morning off right! I^OF^UMgjED T[M£OnW^ FREE COFFEE With purchase of any breakfast sandwich L _ or breakfast Panini mmam j Valid breakfagj&ijiii flftlV. Coupon expires 5/17/03. Offer valid only at participating Atlanta * Bread Corn;,-, y* local kjos antf is ImuJ ~Pr(K,uCt- Nl# va,rtl W1,h anV other offer. One coupon per i onpervtsJLC^vaU* VlACt’. efrm*, . COLUMBIA 1307 Main Street 803-779-0101 Mon-Fri 7am-7pm Sat 8am-2pm Sun Closed wmimwi BUY ONE BREAKFAST PANINI, GET A SECOND Valid breakfast hours only. Coupon expires 5/17/03. Offer valid only at participating Atlanta Bread Company* locations and Is based on availability of product. Not valid with any other offer. One coupon per person per visit. Cash value 1/lOOth of 1 cent. - -vz. ..—:—?