The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 09, 2004, Page 2, Image 2
Commerce Department
reports investment boom
The state brought in $1.1 billion
in investments and 8,700 jobs in
2003, the Commerce Department
reported Thursday.
Data for 2003 included only jobs
and investment the department as
sisted with, representing what in
vestments and jobs the depart
ment is actually responsible for.
The Commerce Department is
hopeful for 2004. The annual re
port said investments are at $745
million so far this year, almost
three timfes what it was in the
same period last year.
Wildlife agencies facing
more budget reductions
State Natural Resources
Department officials say they
could have to make deeper cuts,
including getting rid of 86 jobs, if
its proposed budget goes through.
The spending plan before the
state Senate reduces the agency’s
budget by an additional $3.2 mil
lion. The department says 17 more
law enforcement conservation of
ficers would be let go.
Since 2000. DNR has lost 277 em
ployees whose vacant positions
cannot be filled. Eighty of those
were in the agency’s law enforce
ment division.
Nation
Senate approves larger
railway security spending
WASHINGTON - Spurred by the
railway bombings in Madrid last
month, the Senate Commerce
Committee on Thursday unani
mously approved spending more
than $1 billion to protect railroads
and mass transit systems from ter
rorist attacks.
The bill requires the Homeland
Security Department to develop a
plan within 180 days to improve
rail security throughout the coun
try. It calls for tightening securi
ty at railroad stations and tunnels
and for railcars that carry haz
ardous materials.
i'
6 people got West Nile
virus from blood donors
ATLANTA — At least six people
became infected with the West
Nile virus through blood transfu
sions last year despite the screen
ing of donations, the government
■ said Thursday.
me centers ior Disease control
and Prevention said a small risk
: of infection still exists despite the
; screenings.
Last year was the first full year
’ in which all donor blood was
screened for West Nile, and as a
result, 818 donations were re
moved from the blood supply.
! World
Iraq interior minister
announces resignation
BAGHDAD, IRAQ — Iraq’s inte
| rior minister, in charge of police
; and security forces, announced he
* was resigning Thursday at the re
quest of top U.S. administrator L.
Paul Bremer to maintain the
< Shiite-Sunni balance in the gov
ernment.
Nuri al-Badran, a Shiite
Muslim, indicated he resigned be
; cause the U.S.-led administration
; wanted a Sunni Muslim in the po
sition; the other security portfolio
•— the defense ministry — is also
Vvnld Viir o Ckii+n
I The resignation comes as U.S.
led coalition forces are bai Jing an
uprising across the south by a
Shiite militia led by a radical cleric.
Terrorists had planned
to bomb shopping center
MADRID, SPAIN - Suspected
terrorists who blew themselves up
last weekend as police moved in
to arrest them over the March 11
' bombings had been plotting an at
tack on a shopping center outside
Madrid, a newspaper reported
Thursday.
Police searching the apartment
found maps of Parquesur, a retail
* and leisure complex, at least two
backpacks and a belt, all packed
with dynamite and wired to det
onators, El Mundo said, quoting
police.
A court official said the sus
pects had planned another major
attack in Madrid, possibly during
this week’s Easter celebrations,
but did not give more details.
BR|!FS FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS WIRE
THE GAMECOCK ♦ Friday, April 9, 2004
1667: First public art
exhibition is held at the Palais
Royal in Paris.
1953: “Television Guide”
publishes its first issue.
Extended.Forecast
Saturday
HI: 78
LO: 58
HI: 72
LO: 56
Tuesday
HI: 60
LO: 41
Today
JESSICA WALSH CLARINET
CONCERTO RECITAL: School of
Music 206,6 p.m.
SUN-YOO OH DMA VOICE
RECITAL: School of Music 206,
7:30 p.m.
UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE
APPLICATION DUE
GOOD FRIDAY
Sunday
EASTER
Monday
STUDY ABROAD INFORMATION
SESSION: Business
Administration Building, sixth
floor, 4 p.m.
MUSLIM AWARENESS WEEK,
“ROLE OF WOMEN IN ISLAM”:
Gambrell Hall 153,6:30-7:30 p.m.
2004 CASKEY LECTURE,
“DECIPHERING LIFE AND
CHANGING MEDICINE”: Dr.
Leroy Hood, Law School
Auditorium, 6:45-8 p.m.
ROBERT SMALLS LECTURE:
Henry Louis Gates Jr. of
Harvard University, Belk
Auditorium, 7 p.m.
JOHN WILLIAMS PIANO
RECITAL: School of Music 206,
7:30 p.m.
Tuesday
MUSLIM AWARENESS WEEK,
DAWAH AND CALLIGRAPHY
TABLES: 1400 Greene St., 10 a.m.
2 p.m. _
ROBERT STALLS LECTURE:
Henry Louis Gates Jr. of
Harvard University, Business
Administration Building, Belk
Auditorium, 7 p.m.
MUSLIM AWARENESS WEEK,
QURANIC RECITATION AND
TARTEEL: Russell House 303,7-8
p.m.
uov» unMiTiocn vvmi/o. ouiuui ui
Music 206,7:30 p.m.
Wednesday
EPIDEMIOLOGY SEMINAR,
“EFFECTS OF DIABETES ON
HEALTH AND LIFE EXPECTANCY:
USING DYNAMIC MICRO
SIMULATION TO ESTIMATE
DIFFERENCES BY EDUCATION,
SEX AND RACE”: Dr. Jim Laditka
of the Department of
Epidemiology and Biostatistics,
Health Sciences Building 103,
12:30 p.m.
LAUREN MECCIA SAXOPHONE
RECITAL: School of Music 206,6
p.m.
MUSLIM AWARENESS WEEK,
“STEREOTYPES IN RELIGIONS
MULTIFAITH PANEL”: Gambrell
Hall 153,7-9p.m.
LYNN KOMPASS FACULTY
PIANO/VOCAL RECITAL: School
of Music 206,8 p.m.
Thursday
MUSLIM AWARENESS WEEK,
DAWAH AND CALLIGRAPHY
TABLES: 1400 Greene St., 10 a.m.
2 p.m.
‘Passion’continues ascent to box-office glory
Can Mel Gibson sink “Titanic”
and become the new king of the
box office?
“The Passion of the Christ” has
already earned $330 million in U.S.
and Canadian ticket sales since it
opened six weeks ago, breaking all
sorts of box-office records along the
way.
The total showings of “Passion”
has reached 3,408, a huge number
for a movie well into the second
month of its run.
Now some experts are even say
ing that it’s possible the block
buster religious epic could even
tually replace James Cameron’s
“Titanic” as the most popular
movie of all time.
“Titanic’s” $600.8 million do
mestic box-office record is still a
distant target—and its $1.8 billion
worldwide mark seems insur
mountable, even with divine in
tervention.
But after “Passion’s” astonish
ing first several weeks of business,
one would be tempting fate to bet
against it. Consider:
During its first five days in re
lease, “Passion” grossed $125.2
million, edging ahead of Oscar
winner “The Lord of the Rings:
The Return of the King” for the
five-day opening record.
A day later, it raced past the
$128.1 million record for subtitled
films set bv martial-arts feature
“Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon.”
Two weeks later, it eclipsed
“MyDig Fat Greek Wedding’s”
&i4?<4anillion record for an inde
pendent film.
By the end of March, it had
knocked off “The Matrix:
Reloaded” ($281.5 million) as the
most popular R-rated movie re
leased in the U.S.
Last weekend, “Passion” el
bowed gentle “Forrest Gump”
($329.4 million) out of the No. 10 spot
on the all-time list of movie block
busters, and seems destined to end
up somewhere in the top five.
Will & Grace’s Messing
welcomes newborn son
LOS ANGELES - Now it’s “Will
& Grace” — and baby.
Debra Messing, co-star of the
NBC sitcom, gave birth to a son
PHOTO COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS
Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” has grossed more than $330 million in just six weeks.
Wednesday. The baby weighed 5
pounds and 14 ounces and was 19
inches long, publicist Annett Wolf
said Thursday. It’s the first child
for Messing and her husband,
screenwriter Daniel Zelman.
Messing, 35, was unable to ap
pear in this season’s final four
episodes of “Will & Grace.” She
stars opposite Eric McCormack in
the show about a straight woman
and her gay best friend.
Last week, NBC announced
that Messing’s doctor had asked
her to stay off her feet for the re
mainder of her pregnancy, which
led to her absence from the sea
son’s final installments.
Wolf said Messing would return
in the summer in time to start
shooting episodes for next season.
Pitt to record narration
for Drake documentary
LONDON - Brad Pitt will nar
rate a British Broadcasting Corp.
radio series about one of his mu
sical idols. Nick Drake.
The BBC said the actor had
recorded a two-part documentary
about Drake, which will air on
music station Radio 2 next month.
The plaintive singer-songwrit
er recorded three albums before his
death from a drug overdose in 1974
at 26. Although a commercial fail
ure during his lifetime, he has been
cited as a major influence by many
bands, from R.E.M. to The Cure.
“I was introduced to Nick
Drake’s music about five years
ago, and am a huge admirer of his
records,” Pitt said. “When Radio
2 approached me to get involved
in this project, I was delighted to
be asked and pleased that I was
able to fit it into my schedule.”
“Lost Boy — In Search of Nick
Drake” is scheduled to air May 22.
Turner presented his own
star on Hollywood’s walk»
LOS ANGELES - Cable News
Network founder, yacht racer,
restaurant owner and philan
thropist Ted Turner now has a star
on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The cable television pioneer
was feted most Wednesday for his
devotion to classic films by a
group of veteran but still glam
orous actresses who thanked
Turner for keeping them in the
public eye.
“I am deeply indebted to Ted
Turner for making my golden
years platinum,” said Ann
Rutherford, who appeared in more
than 60 films, including “Gone
With the Wind” and a series of
“Hardy Boys” movies.
Turner founded his Turner
Classic Movies cable network 10
years ago. The channel fed off hun
dreds of movies in the Metro
Goldwyn-Mayer library and oth
er film libraries Turner bought
over the years.
Thornton expects fourth
child sometime this fall
LOS ANGELES - Billy Bob
Thornton is going to be a father —
again.
The 48-year-old actor, already
celebrating this weekend’s debut
of his latest film, “The Alamo,” an
nounced Thursday that he and
girlfriend, Connie Angland, are ex
pecting a child this fall.
Angland, 39, doesn’t work in the
entertainment business. There
were no other details about the
couple.
Thornton, who has three chil
dren from two previous mar
riages, divorced actress Angelina
Jolie in May 2003.
Thornton plays Davy Crockett
in “The Alamo,” which also stars
Jason Patric and Dennis Quaid. His
other films include “Sling Blade”
and “A Simple Plan.”
. BRIEFS FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS WIRE
use. Briefly
Columbia offices will
close on Good Friday
Columbia offices will close to
day in observance of Good Friday.
They will re-open on Monday.
Garbage and recyclables will be
collected Friday on their regular
schedule.
Service program accepts
volunteers until April 16
Applications for the Dobson
Volunteer Service Program for
this summer will be accepted
through Friday, April 16.
Participants in the Dobson
Volunteer Service Program take
part in service internships and
may be undergraduate students,
graduate students and faculty who
meet the selection criteria. To
learn more about the program and
download an application form, vis
it the website at:
http://www.sa.sc.edu/stlife/do
bson.htm. For more information,
call 777-688 or e-mail
csoehl@gwm.sc.edu.
University Awards Day
to be held on Horseshoe
The annual University Awards
Day ceremony will be held
Thursday at 2 p.m. on the
Horseshoe. Departmental awards
for undergraduates will be pre
sented. Recipients of Who’s Who
in American Colleges and
Universities will be recognized,
as well as USC Outstanding
Seniors. Several students with na
tional honors and awards will
also be recognized. USC President
Andrew Sorensen will present the
Algernon Sydney Sullivan award
to one female and one male
Carolina undergraduate, and the
Steven N. Swanger award will
also be presented by Sorensen on
behalf of Omicron Delta Kappa.
All faculty and staff are invited
to attend. For more information,
contact the Department of Student
Life at 777-6688.
Islamic Awareness Week
at USC starts Monday
The Muslim Students
Association at USC will be hold
ing its annual Islamic Awareness
Week Monday through April 16.
Included in the week’s activities
are lectures, Quranic recitation
and a calligraphy table on Greene
Street. For more information, con
tact organization President Fozail
Alvi at cavsl08@aol.com.
Police.Report
Each number on
the map stands
for a crime
corresponding
with numbered
descriptions in
the list below.
DAY CRIMES
(6a.m.-6 p.m.)
□ Violent
O Nonviolent
NIGHT CRIMES
(S p.m.-6a.m.)
■ Violent
% Nonviolent
CRIMES AT
UNKNOWN
HOURS
H Violent
® Nonviolent
Monday, April 5
© LARCENY OF SOFA,
COMPUTER SERVICES,
LOADING DOCK, 122
BLOSSOM ST. The
complainant said that between
April 4 and April 5 someone
took a pink sofa from the
unsecured location. Estimated
value: $250. Reporting officer:
C. Taylor.
Tuesday, April 6
© LARCENY OF BICYCLE,
MAXCY COLLEGE, 1312
PENDLETON ST. The victim
said that between April 2 and
April 6 someone removed her
bicycle from the bicycle rack
in front of Maxcy College^ She
said her bike was secured with
a lock. Estimated value: $50.
Reporting officer: J.D. Rosier.
Thursday, April 8
□ MALICIOUS INJURY TO
REAL PROPERTY, ASSAULT,
ASSAULT AND BATTERY,
MCBRYDE QUADRANGLE A,
1309 BLOSSOM ST. William
Poulson began a verbal
altercation with victim No. 3.
Victim No. 2 became involved
in the altercation and said
Poulson grabbed him by his
shirt and hit him twice in the
back of the head. Victim No. 2
and No. 3 said that after they
locked themselves in a room
where Poulson threatened
each with bodily harm or
death while kicking the
doorknob off the door. Victim
No. 2 said Poulson also pulled a
“divider” off the bathroom
wall, property of victim No. 1.
Estimated damage: $150.
Reporting officer: N. DeHaai.
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