Officials find witness
to Greenville blaze
GREENVILLE — Law enforce
ment officials say a man they
wanted to talk to about an early
Sunday morning fire at a
Greenville motel that killed-six
people appears to have only been a
witness to the blaze.
Green(ville County Sheriffs
Office spokesman Sgt. Shea Smith
said the man, who he would not
identify, did provide some helpful
information to investigators.
House committee
approves DNA bill
COLUMBIA — The House
Judiciary Committee approved a
bill Tuesday that would expand
the state’s DNA database to in
clude anyone convicted of a felony.
South Carolina currently re
quires all those convicted of vio
lent crimes and sex-related crimes
to submit DNA for storage at the
State Law Enforcement Division
lab.
Making the donation of DNA
samples mandatory for all felons
would increase the database by
thousands of entries each year and
be an added cost. Jennings said
federal funds can help pay for the
program.
Nation
Broadcasters, cable
TV companies clash
WASHINGTON — To most couch
potatoes, digital television means
a sharper picture. Broadcasters
see another advantage: They could
offer up to six times as many chan
nels.
Broadcast networks say they’ll
offer more channels if the govern
ment requires cable companies to
carry them. More channels would
mean more choices, stiffer com
petition and better programming,
they say.
But cable companies say a fed
eral mandate could force them to
drop cable services to make room
for extra broadcast channels.
Researchers identify
adult tremor disorder
CHICAGO-Researchers say they
have discovered a tremor disorder
in adults that is often mistaken for
Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s and is
linked to a common cause of men
tal retardation in children.
The disorder, which can also
cause memory loss, might affect;
more than 1 in 3,000 adults, most
ly men, according to scientists at
the University of California at
Davis.
• , . '
More remains found
at killer’s pig farm
VANCOUVER, BRITISH
COLUMBIA — Canadian police on
Tuesday confirmed finding the re
mains of nine more women at a
pig farm owned by the man al
leged to be Canada’s worst serial
killer.
While six of the women have
been identified as being among
more than 60 who vanished from
the city’s seedy drug-infested
downtown east side, three have
not been identified.
Robert William Pickton, 54,
faces 22 counts of first degree mur
der in the disappearances of wom
en over the past 20 years.
The remains were identified
through DNA matching, and the
police appealed for public help in
identifying the three sets of
unidentified remains.
Bird flu confirmed in
Chinese poultry
BEIJING - Bird flu reached
China, the world’s most populous
nation, as officials acknowledged
Tuesday that at least one duck was
infected with the disease and
opened an investigation into sus
pect cases of other dead poultry.
The announcement opened a
potentially fearsome new front in
the fight against the virus that
now has appeared in 10 Asian na
tions.
In Atlanta, the head of the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention urged American doc
tors to test patients with flu-like
symptoms if they had recently
been to areas with bird flu out
breaks.
BRIEFS FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS WIRE
%
in
?±$" tory
1878: Yale publishes Yale
Daily News, the first daily college
newspaper
1986: The space shuttle
1 '’v-' Challenger explodes 73 seconds af
ter launching from Cape
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Sunday
HI: 62
LO: 34
Wednesday
RINGLING BROTHERS AND
BARNUM& BAILEY CIRCUS:
Colonial Center, 7 p.m.
STUDENT ORGANIZATION FAIR:
Russell House Ballroom, 11 a.m.
3 p.m.
SEMINAR “THE CHALLENGES
AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR
CANCER PREVENTION AND
CONTROL IN SOUTH CAROLINA”:
Dr. James Hebert of the
Statewide Cancer Prevention
and Control Program and (JSC’s
Department of Epidemiology and
Biostatistics, Health Sciences
Building 103,12:30 p.m.
FILM “RELENTLESS: THE
STRUGGLE FOR PEACE IN
ISRAEL”: Columbia College,
Breed Leadership Center 103,7
p.m.
SAFETY WALK: Begins in Russell
House 2nd Floor Lobby, 8 p.m.
NATIONAL STUDENT EXCHANGE
PROGRAM INFORMATION
SESSION: Russell House 304,5
p.m.
Thursday
RINGLING BROTHERS AND
BARNUM& BAILEY CIRCUS:
Colonial Center, 7 p.m.
WUSC NEW DJ INTEREST
MEETING: Russell House 305,8
p.m.
COLLOQUIUM “COVARIATE
ADJUSTED REGRESSION”: Damla
Senturk of the University of
California, LeConte College
210A, Lecture begins 2 p.m.,
Refreshments 3 p.m.
WORKSHOP “WAKING UP FROM
POWERPOINT-INDUCED SLEEP:
EFFECTIVE USE OF POWERPOINT
FOR TEACHING”: Vera
Polyakova-Norwood, DEIS
Instructional Developer, Thomas
Cooper Library, Multimedia
Classroom 3,2 p.m.
STUDY ABROAD INFORMATION
SESSION: Business
Administration Building 634,4
p.m.
COLLOQUIUM “FUNDAMENTAL
PHYSICS FROM E+E-TOTAL
HADRONIC CROSS SECTION
DATA”: Jones Physical Science
Center 409, Refreshments 3:45
p.m., Colloquium 4 p.m.
Friday
CRITICAL MASS BIKE RIDE:
Begins on the Horseshoe, 5 p.m.
SHERRILL MILNES
MASTERCLASS: School of Music
Recital Hall 206,10 a.m. and 2:30
p.m.
Final ‘Rings’ movie receives 11 Oscar nods'
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.
Middle-earth crowned its
monarch. Now, Academy Awards
voters seem ready to crown “The
Lord of the Rings: The Return of
the King” as the first fantasy to
win best picture.
The final chapter of Peter
Jackson’s trilogy, based on J.R.R.
Tolkien’s classic, took a leading 11
Oscar nominations Tuesday,
among them best picture and di
rector.
Key acting nominees included
Golden Globe winners Bill Murray
as a washed-up actor in “Lost in
Translation,” Diane Keaton as a
down-on-love playwright in
“Something’s Gotta Give,” Chatlize
Theron as serial killer Aileen
Wuornos in “Monster” and Sean
Penn as a vengeful father in
“Mystic River.” ♦ FOR THE FULL
LIST OF NOMINEES SEE PAGE 12.
Pepsi commercial to
feature Spears, Pink
LONDON — There were pop
stars, cameras and lights, but the
excitement wasn’t for a movie pre
miere; it was the world debut of a
Pepsi commercial — starring
Britney Spears, Beyonce Knowles
and Pink.
The trio was at the National
Gallery in London’s Trafalgar
Square Monday for the first
screening of the soft drink manu
facturer’s “New Gladiator” ad, in
which they play gladiators and
Enrique Igleslas plays an evil
Roman emperor.
“To have this premiere is pretty
amazing,” Spears said.
“Filming the ad was awesome;
PHOTO SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK
Academy Award nominees were announced Tuesday morning.
it made me feel empowered and I
got to work with these two fan
tastic gladiator women,” she
added.
The three have reworked the
old Queen hit “We Will Rock You”
for the ad.
NAACP to recognize
Dave Matthews Band
LOS ANGELES - Dave Matthews
Band will receive the special
Chairman’s Award at the upcom
ing NAACP Image Awards for its
devotion to social and environ
mental causes and its “dignified
representation of people of color,”
the civil rights group has an
nounced.
With the awards, the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People honors people
and companies that support posi
tive change for people of color in
arts and entertainment. The honor
will be bestowed at the March 6
awards ceremony in Los Angeles.
Fox will broadcast the program on
March 11.
The racially mixed music
group’s Bama Works Foundation
has donated millions of dollars in
grants to a variety of groups
around the world, including con
servation organizations for the
Amazon rain forest, family farm
ers, youth community clubs and
AIDS charities.
Sandler to star in
The Longest Yard’
LOS ANGELES - Adam Sandler
will star in a ramaka of the 1974
Burt Reynolds comedy “The
Longest Yard,” the story of a for
mer football player turned convict
who challenges prison guards to a
game.
Production will begin in June
with Columbia Pictures, Sherry
Lansing of Paramount’s Motion
Picture Group said Monday.
Sandler will play Paul Crewe,
the retired football player, in a role
Reynolds originally played 30
years ago.
Producers also are in discus
sion with comedian Chris Rock to
play the role of Caretaker and rap
per Snoop Dogg to play a member
of the team.
Streisand might star
in ‘Parents’ sequel
NEW YORK - Barbra Streisand
is reading the script for “Meet the
Fockers,” the sequel to 2000’s “Meet
the Parents,” her husband, James
Brolin, said in an interview on the
syndicated “Access Hollywood” en
tertainment TV show.
“I know she is reading it,” said
Brolin, in an interview to air
Monday. Excerpts were released
in advance.
Streisand’s participation as Ben
Stiller’s mother would mark a re
turn to film for the 61-year-old
singer-actress after an eight-year
hiatus.
She starred in 1996’s “The
Mirror Has Two Faces.” k
“Meet the Parents” starrei "
Stiller as Greg Focker, Teri Polo as
Stiller’s fiancee, and Robert De Niro
and Blythe Danner as Polo’s par
ents. They are slated to return for
lllG “ *4 '
BRIEFS FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS WIRE
USC. Briefly
Service fraternity
to hold info meeting
Alpha Phi Omega, a coed ser
vice fraternity, will be holding an
interest/informational meeting
Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the Towers
classroom. Pizza and snacks will
be provided. Come to meet APO
members and find out more about
this organization. For more infor
mation, call 544-2099 or e-mail
als02@yahoo.com.
Leadership Team
applications online
The USC Office of Community
Service is looking for leaders to
join the 2004-2005 Community
Service Leadership Team. Pick up
an application at the community
service office or apply online.
Applications are due Feb. 5. For
more information, call 777-5780 or
visit http://www.sa.sc.edu.
Career Center to
hold High Tech Fair
The USC Career Center will
hold an Engineering and High
Tech Fair from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 5 in the Strom
Thurmond Wellness & Fitness
Center. Companies attending in
clude the Milliken and Company,
Eagen McAllister Associates and
the Westinghouse Savannah River
Company. For more information,
contact the Career Center at 777
7280 or visit www.sc.edu/career.
Columbia offices go
back to normal hours
All City of Columbia offices will
re-open today, with normal busi
ness hours observed. City staff
who cannot report to work should
contact their supervisor. Garbage
and recyclables will be collected
on their normal schedules.
WomenMatter to
host rally, draw voters
WomenMatter is hosting a rally
on Monday to mobilize the wom
en of South Carolina to vote in the
primary election. The event will
feature addresses by Inez
Tenenbaum and Talk Radio New
Service host Victoria Jones. The
rally will take place from 7 p.m. to
9 p.m. in the Vista Room of the
South Carolina State Museum.
For more information, visit
www.womenmatter.com. ^
Late Night Carolina
offers free activities
Late Night Carolina will be held"
Friday from 10 p.m.- 2 a.m., sporn
sored by USC’s Alcohol and Drug
Programs. USC students are ad
mitted for free, and the evening
will include airbrushed tattoos,,
caricature artists, snacks, door'
prizes and more.
„ • 1
Police. Report
These reports are taken directly from the USC Police Department.
Each number on
the map stands
for a crime
corresponding
with numbered
descriptions in
the list below.
DAY CRIMES
(6a.m.-6p.m.)
□ Violent
O Nonviolent
NIGHT CRIMES
(6 p.m.-6 a.m.)
■ Violent
# Nonviolent
CRIMES AT
UNKNOWN
HOURS
□ Violent
© Nonviolent
Tuesday, Jan. 20
O CIVIL DISTURBANCE,
SOUTH QUAD, 500 SUMTER
ST. Reporting officer J.M.
Simmons responded to,a
complaint of what appeared to
be a civil dispute. The
complainant said he heard
yelling and screaming. When
he walked into the hallway, he
observed Tiffany Jones
attempting to string subject
No. 2. Subjects Nos. 3 and 4
were trying to pull subject No.
2 down the hall while Jones
was still trying to string
subject No. 2.
Sunday, Jan. 25
Q CIVIL DISTURBANCE, THE
ROOST, 103 S. MARION ST.
Reporting officer T. Brewster
responded in reference to a
disturbance. No charges were
filed.
Monday, Jan. 26
® LARCENY OF BICYCLE,
LARCENY OF CHAIN/LOCK,
1520 DEVINE ST.
The victim said that between
Jan. 22 and Jan. 26 someone
took her red 15-speed bicycle
from the bike rack on the Bull
St. side of Patterson Hall. The
bike was secured by a chain
and lock. Estimated value: $75.
Reporting officer: G. Kerwin.
o SIMPLE POSSESSION OF
MARIJUANA, POSSESSION
WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE
MARIJUANA, POSSESSION
WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE
MARIJUANA IN THE
PROXIMITY OF A SCHOOL,
MCBRYDE QUADRANGLE,
BUILDING E, 600 BLOCK
SUMTER ST.
Reporting officer M.L.
Gooding was walking through
the hallway when he observed
a strong smell of marijuana
coming from a room and
knocked on the door. Sean
Hitchman, Andrew Spencer
and Jennifer Netzley were in
the room, which belonged to
Hitchman. There was a very
strong odor of marijuana in
the room, a towel under the
door and an open window with
a fan blowing out. When
asked, Spencer produced a bag
with approximately 1.6 grams
of a substance believed to be
marijuana. Hitchman then
produced a bag with
approximately 4.9 grams of a
substance believed to be
marijuana. Gooding asked
Hitchman where he had
purchased the marijuana, and
he said Spencer sold it to him ^
for $15. Both subjects were V
arrested. After waiving their
Miranda rights, Spencer
admitted to selling the
marijuana to Hitchman and .
admitted to having
approximately 0.5 ounces
more in his room. Officer ■
Brewster escorted Spencer to
his room, where he turned
over two bags with
approximately 15.7 grams
total of a substance believed to
be marijuana. Spencer said he
had sold marijuana before but
not many times. He would not
say where he had purchased
the marijuana. Reporting
officers: M.L. Gooding, J.M.
Simmons.
Q SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY,
THORNWELL COLLEGE, 1420
PENDLETON ST. The victim A
said someone entered her ™
unsecured residence, walked
around for several minutes
and then left. The victim said
nothing was missing at that
time. Reporting officer: J.M.
Simmons.