Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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State Nearly 500 workers rally for pay, benefits Nearly 500 state workers, re tirees and educators headed to the State House Tuesday to tell legis lators they need better.pay and protection from higher insurance rates and reduced benefits. Most of the protestors wore red Coalition of Public Employees stickers. That’s a new group formed of retirees, state workers and educators that brings the lob bying power of more than 370,000 people to bear on issues. Army able to foster beach preservation BEAUFORT - The U S. Army Corps of Engineers says it now has enough money to resume work on a plan to save Hunting Island State Park’s eroding beaches. Last week, the corps said it had run out of money to finish the pro ject’s first phase, but federal offi cials said Monday they’ve found nearly $200,000 left over in their $25 million budget for environ mental projects. The money is netessary to finalize the engi neering plan to preserve the East Coast’s fastest-eroding beach. Nation - Nickels getting first face-lift in 66 years WASHINGTON - Millions of shiny nickels sporting their first new look in 66 years are being shipped to the Federal Reserve, the supplier of the nation’s cash, officials of the U.S Mint said Tuesday. The new nickels—which honor the 1803 Louisiana Purchase on the back but retain Thomas Jefferson on the front — should start show ing up in cash registers in several weeks, Mint officials said. A total of 180 million new nick els have been sent to the Federal Reserve as of March 1. McDonald’s phasing out Supersize menu CHICAGO - Say goodbye to those super-sized fries — McDonald’s is slimming down its menu. The hamburger giant has start ed phasing out its trademark Supersize fries and drinks in its U.S. restaurants as part of an ef fort to simplify its menu and give customers choices that support a balanced lifestyle, a company spokesman said Tuesday. By the end of 2004, Supersize will no longer be available at the nation’s 13,000-plus McDonald’s outlets except in certain promo tions, McDonald’s spokesman Walt Riker said. The move comes as the world’s largest restaurant company, and fast-food chains in general, are un der growing public pressure to give consumers healthier food op tions in a nation that has suddenly become aware of its bulging waist line and the health dangers that come with it. World Arafat adviser killed in morning ambush GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP - Gunmen killed an adviser to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in a street ambush early Tuesday, feeding fears of growing lawless ness ahead of a possible Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Arafat denounced the killing of Khalil al-Zaben, 59, as a "dirty as sassination.” Al-Zaben was the best-known Palestinian to be killed in recent infernal fighting. There was no clhim of responsibility and secu rity officials said publicly they had nosuspects. Putin names prime minister candidate MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin nominated a low-profile technocrat to the post of prime minister, signalling he wanted a politically unambitious head of government to push through sen sitjve economic reforms. The choice of Mikhail Fradkov — who also could become a scape goat if the reforms fail — was an nounced six days after Putin’s un expected dismissal of Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and his Cabinet in advance of this month’s presidential election. BRIEFS FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS WIRE ry USC opens to all ethnici 1955: Elvis Presley makes first television appearance. Extended.Forecast Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday HI: 81 HI: 78 HI: 75 HI: 68 LO: 58 LO: 61 LO: 51 1.0:37 Today use SPRING CLEANING CLOTHING DRIVE: Russell House, Greene Street, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. SAFE SPRING BREAK WEEK FAIR: Russell House, Greene Street, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. SEMINAR, “LEUKEMIA IN THE UKRAINE: STUDYING THE EFFECTS FROM THE CHERNOBYL ACGIDENT”: Dr. Arthur Michalek of the University of Buffalo, Health Sciences Building 103,12:30 p.m. IMAGING AND IMAGINING NANOSCIENCE & ENGINEERING CONFERENCE: Adam’s Mark Hotel, 3-9 p.m. LECTURE, “STUDENTS CREATING NEW KNOWLEDGE”: Gambrell Hall 152,3:30 p.m. LAST LECTURE SERIES: Judith Kalb of USC’s Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Department, Gressette Room, Harper College, 3rd floor, 7 p.m SOUTHERN INTERSCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION CONVENTION AND COMPETITION: Adam’s Mark Hotel SAFE SPRING BREAK WEEK Thursday S.C. RED CROSS DAY: State House grounds, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. IMAGING AND IMAGINING NANOSCIENCE & ENGINEERING CONFERENCE: Adam’s Mark Hotel, 8:25 a.m.-9 p.m. use SPRING CLEANING CLOTHING DRIVE: Russell House, Greene Street, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. COLLOQUIUM, “MODELING THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TWO CORRELATED SURVIVAL OUTCOMES":AmitaK. - Manatunga of Emory University, LeConte 210A, Lecture 2 p.m., Refreshments 3 p.m. YWCA OF THE MIDLANDS 90TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION: YWCA of the Midlands, 6-8 p.m. MEET AND GREET WITH TAMEIKA ISAAC DEVINE: Russell House 322/326,7 p.m. STUDY ABROAD INFORMATION SESSION: Business Administration Building 634,4 p.m. SOUTHERN INTERSCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION CONVENTION AND COMPETITION: Adam’s Mark Hotel SAFE SPRING BREAK WEEK Friday IMAGING AND IMAGINING NANOSCIENCE & .ENGINEERING CONFERENCE: Adam’s Mark Hotel, 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m. SAFE SPRING BREAK WEEK Saturday TRADITIONAL CRAFT WORKSHOP: SPLIT-OAK BASKET MAKING: McKissick Museum, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. IMAGING AND IMAGINING NANOSCIENCE & ENGINEERING CONFERENCE: Adam’s Mark Hotel, 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. TIBETAN NEW YEAR CELEBRATION: Big Apple, 7 p.m. CITY DAY: Finlay Park SOUTHERN INTERSCHOLASTIC PRESS ASSOCIATION CONVENTION AND COMPETITION: Adam’s Mark Hotel Sunday IMAGING AND IMAGINING NANOSCIENCE & ENGINEERING CONFERENCE: Adam’s Mark Hotel, 8:30 a.m.-l p.m. YOUTH ART CELEBRATION: Columbia Museum of Art, 2 p.m. SPRING BREAK BEGINS Monday FREE LEGAL CLINIC, SOUTH CAROLINA BAR PRO BONO PROGRAM: Round Top Baptist Church, 120 Round Top Court, Blythewood, 6:30-8 p.m. SPRING BREAK-NO CLASSES I Gibson’s hometown reflects on ‘Passion’ GREENWICH, CONN. - Two churches in Mel Gibson's town held services beneath the big screen after seeing his new movie, "The Passion of the Christ.” More than 400 members of Trinity Church and Stanwich Congregational Church crowded into a theater for an afternoon screening. “After the film there will be a time of reflection,” said Ian Cron, Trinity’s senior pastor. "It will be a chance for us just to sit in the af terglow of the film, if you will.” Filmgoers also were offered the chance to celebrate the Eucharist. The movie, which depicts the crucifixion of Jesus, opened with $125.2 million in box office sales over five days. The total pushed "The Passion” past "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” ($124.1 million) for biggest debut ever by a film opening on a Wednesday — Ash Wednesday, in this case. Clapton trims 2 hits from concert stock NEW YORK - Two of Eric Clapton’s best-known songs are gone from his concert repertoire —perhaps for good. The guitar legend found, dur ing a series of concerts in Japan a few months ago, that he couldn’t perform "Tears in Heaven” and "My Father’s Eyes.” The songs, both Grammy Award winners, deal with the loss of his 4-year-old son, Conor, who died when he fell from a New York apartment in 1991. ”1 didn’t feel the loss anymore, which is so much a part of per forming those songs,” he said in an interview with The Associated Bress. ”1 really have to connect with the feelings that were there when I wrote them,” he said. "They’re kind of gone and I really don’t want them to come back, particu larly. My life is a different life now.” Timberlake getting a feel for journalism LOS ANGELES - So what’s Justin Umberiake uncovering now? Timberlake, who ripped away part of Janet Jackson’s costume at the Super Bowl halftime show, tagged along with Associated Press reporter Bob Porterfield last week to get a taste for journalism. The Grammy-winning singer will play a reporter who uncovers an elite team of corrupt police in the upcoming film "Edison.” Timberlake created a stir at the downtown county courthouse as he filled out an application for le gal documents and pored over them with Porterfield in a public viewing area for about 45 minutes. Porterfield, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who teaches gradu ate-school journalism, was im pressed. "I thought he was sharp. He seemed attentive and interest ed in learning this stuff. He has a real interest in developing his part.” Disney to bring Lewis books to big screen LOS ANGELES - Fresh off the Academy Awards success of "The Lord of the Rings,” another fanta sy epic is making its way from the page to the screen. Walt Disney Studios and Walden Media announced Monday they are co-financing "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” adapted from the sec ond installment of C.S. Lewis' sev en-book fantasy series. Directed by Andrew Adamson ("Shrek,” "Shrek 2”), the live-ac tion "Narnia” adaptation Ls sched uled for release around Christmas 2005. Future films in the series could follow. Evanescence moving on without guitarist NEW YORK - Amy Lee and her band, Evanescence, are surviving without guitarist and songwriter Ben Moody. Moody left the group in October, packing his bags the rngming be fore a concert in Berlin and catch ing a plane out of the country. "I don’t understand Ben,” Lee toldNewsday. "He makes a lot of very impulsive decisions, and he does whatever he wants for the moment.” Evanescence won the Grammy Award for best new artist this year, having conquered radio with the single "Bring Me to Life” and selling about 3.5 million copies of their debut album, "Fallen.” Lee prefers to look forward, praising the talents of replace ment guitarist Terry Balsamo, for merly of the metal-rock band Cold. "He has a lot of creativity on the guitar end that we might have been lacking,” she said. But most ly, Lee can’t wait to stop touring and start writing songs for the next album. Parton awarded for promoting literacy NASHVILLE, TENN. - Dolly Parton has been recognized for her dedication to helping children learn to read. The 58-year-old country singer was presented with the second an nual "Reading Works!” award sponsored by NashvilleREAD in honor of her Imagination Library. The award was presented by Gov. Phil Bredesen, who has includ ed $2 million in his budget as chal lenge grant money to help spread the program, which provides one book every month to registered children under the age of five. Parton founded the Imagination Library several years ago in her home of Sevier County. It has siacc' spread across Tennessee and to other states. In accepting the award, Parton noted that she was from a family of 12 children who learned to read from their mother; her father was illiterate. BRIEFS FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS WIRE PHOTO COURTESY KRT CAMPUS “The Passion of the Christ” raked in $125.2 million last week. USC. Briefly Russian professor to give 'Last Lecture’ Judith Kalb, a USC Russian professor, will speak at 7 p.m. tonight at the Last Lecture Series, sponsored by the Carolina Scholars Association. Every year, the Last Lecture Series allows stu dent-nominated professors to de liver a lecture as though it were their last, speaking on a topic of most importance and interest to them. The lecture, which will be held in the Gressette Room, 3rd floor Harper College, is free, attire is casual and refreshments will be provided. Volunteers needed for study on sleeping USC’s Arnold School of Public Health is seeking volunteers for a 10-week study on sleep. Participants should be between the ages of 50 and 70 and sleep at least 8.5 hours a night. Volunteers will receive information about their sleep patterns and health and up to $1,200 for completing the study, which takes place in the volunteers’ homes. The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is under the direction of Shawn Youngstedt, a faculty member in the department of ex ercise science at USC’s Arnold School of Public Health. For reg istration or more information, call 777-72%. Free legal clinic to discuss wills, estates The South Carolina Bar Pro Bono Program will sponsor a free legal clinic on wills, estates and probate from 6:30-8 p.m. on Monday in Blythewood. The clinic will be held at the Round Top Baptist Church, 120 Round Top Court. Roger B. Jellenik, a solo practitioner in Columbia, will speak at the clinic. For more in formation, contact the South Carolina Bar Pro Bono Program at 799-4015, ext. 158. City of Columbia to give away free mulch The City of Columbia will make mulch available to the pub lic at no charge on Saturday 9 a.m.-4p.m. The mulch, comprised of de bris collected and ground after the January ice storm, will be available for one day only at the temporary dump site at River Drive and North Main Street. The City will not provide ve hicles for transporting the mulch and asks people coming to get material enter off River Drive. For more information, contact the Solid Waste Division at (803)545-3800. DHS offering anti terror scholarships Applications are being accept ed for the DHS Scholarship and Fellowship Program, a program open to undergraduate and grad uate students interested in pursu ing the science and technology necessary to protect the nation against terrorist attacks and pro tect Americans’ rights. Areas of study include: physi cal, biological, social and behav ioral sciences, engineering, math ematics and computer science. For more information and ap plication materials visit http://www.orau.gov/dhsed/. I Police. Report These reports are taken directly from the USC Police Department T •' 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.-6a.m.) ■ Violent • Nonviolent CRIMES AT UNKNOWN HOURS □ Violent O Nonviolent Sunday, Feb. 29 ® MALICIOUS INJURY TO REAL PROPERTY, GAMBRELL HALL, 817 HENDERSON ST. Reporting officer J.L. Taylor saw a large group of males skateboarding on a dismantled table in the outdoor dining area. Taylor observed Joseph Walls skateboarding in that area. Other subjects ran as Taylor drove up. Estimated damage: $150. ® FIRE (NON-SUSPICIOUS), 712 MAIN ST. Reporting officer J.M. Simmons responded to a complaint of a garbage can on fire. Columbia Fire Department responded and extinguished the flame. © LARCENY OF FOOD, BATES HOUSE, 1405 WHALEY ST. The complainant said two black males flagged him down when he was coming in to make a pizza delivery. The complainant thought they were the people who ordered the pizza. The subjects took the large pizzas from the complainant and ran off. Estimated value: $34.21. Reporting officer: G. Kerwin. O MALICIOUS INJURY TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, 507 LINCOLN ST. The victim said someone broke out the rear driver’s-side door window of his vehicle. He said nothing was missing. Estimated damage: $150. Reporting officer: P.I. Jones.