University of South Carolina Libraries
Vol. 36-No. 14 Newberry, S. C. 29108, Thursday, September 14, 1972 City proposes electric rate Thomas Epting shows the citation he received Thursday at New berry College naming him a Doctor of Pedagogy to Charles Long, a senior from Charleston. Epting received the honorary degree during the College’s opening convocation for his long service to the Col lege. While James Park stood at attention at the opening day convoca tion at Newberry College last Thursday, Dr. Fredric B. Irvin, presi dent, and Dr. Glenn Whitesides adjust the hood signifying that Park now holds the Doctor of Science degree. The College awarded him the honorary for his long service to the institution as graduate and professor of chemistry. City Council here Tuesday gave first reading to an ordi nance which will increase by 10 percent the electric rates which the City of Newberry charges its customers. City manager K. W. Riebe reported to council, “As you know, Duke Power Co., our supplier, has increased our rates by approximately 12 per cent (though a fuel cost adjustment clause). We feel we will be able to absorb 2 per cent of the increase.” Riebe said the fuel cost ad justment clause which Duke has put into effect is expected to cost between $65,000 and $70,- 000 annually for the City of Newberry. Council noted that the city cannot absorb all of the increase, and that most of the increase will have to be passed on to the customer. Council takes no official act on first reading. Second read ing is expected at a council meeting on Sept. 26. In other business, council au thorized the city manager and the mayor to negotiate a con tract with Newberry Electric Cooperative Inc., for this pur chase of electric power by the city of Newberry to serve a new industry, Damon Interna tional. Council referred a zoning or dinance, which had been sche duled for second reading, back to the planning commission. Riebe said that because of a major change in the zoning or dinance concerning mobile homes, the Mobile Home Asso ciation of the state of South Carolina has indicated that it feels the proposed ordinance would be discriminatory. Riebe said further study by the plan ning commission will be neces sary. The city manager reported that bids received for the con struction of a water line and County to pay some court cases County council here Tuesday voted to pay $50 per case for attorneys representing indigent cases in the magistrate’s court until further notice. Public defender Dick Kenan recommended the action at an August council meeting. Kenan said his office is not set up to allow him to defend these cases in addition to the cases he represents in General Ses sions Court. Newberry Magistrate Butch Zobel told council that attorneys John Rucker, Ronnie Hightow er and Jim Parr have agreed to accept such cases in the ma gistrate’s court for the $50 fee. Zobel said he would expect no more than 15 such cases in the magistrate’s court in the county during the year. He said most such cases normally involve traffic violations. Zobel explained that employ ment, number of dependents, property and equity and any thing that might put a strain on a person’s income are con sidered in determining whether he is indigent. The Supreme Court, in a re cent decision, said that defen dants in magistrate’s court who face the possibility of a fine are entitled to the services of an attorney if they desire one. Council plans to take action on each individual case that comes up with payment to come from miscellaneous expendi tures or trials and hearing ap propriations. In other business, C. A. Shealy Jr., chairman of the Democratic party for Newberry County, re commended that in the future candidates for county council should continue to announce for office by district, as they have in the past, but they should be elected at large to avoid con fusion where there are split precincts. Council accepted the recom mendation as information. If council should decide to com ply with the recommendation, the delegation would be request ed to introduce legislation al lowing such a change. Council accepted a $2,795.20 bid from W. D. Thommason Heating Co. of Columbia to make repairs and alterations to the heating systems in various county buildings. The work was recommended by Improved Risk Mutuals, the county’s in surance carrier. Council signed claims for county bills for supplies and material used during August totalling $16,168.50. Joe Clark enrollment repre sentative for Blue Cross-Blue Shield briefed council on state level benefits for county em ployees. Council set up a meet ing of county employees for 4 p.m. today (Thursday) to re ceive information about the Blue Cross-Blue Shield plan. un $3.00 PER YEAR increase a sewer line to service Damon International and a sewer line for a housing development be ing built by the housing autho rity were much higher than en gineers had estimated. Riebe said the bids were as much as $40,000 more .than had been anticipated, and at his suggestion council accepted the bids as information. The lowest bidder was Satterfield Construc tion Co. of Greenwood with a bid of $116,722.43. Council gave routine second reading to ordinances adopting amendments to the Southern Standard Gas Code, the South ern Standard Plumbing Code and the Southern Standard Building Code. Council gave first reading to an ordinance to delete a sec tion of the city code regulating the showing of motion pictures on Sunday. The city code had been in conflict with state law regulating show times. Council authorized the mayor and city to sign an agreement with Mrs. Edith L. Matthews involving right-of-way required by the State Highway Depart ment to improve Routes 219, 34, and 76. Under the agree ment, the city will assume re sponsibility for relocating a wall and trees and for landscaping the property. Wessinger is winner in Demo run-off Bruce Wessinger won nomina tion to a seat on the Newberry County Council from District Two in a run-off Democratic primary here Tuesday. Wessinger, received 801 votes to 619 votes for his opponent, Charles L. Lake. Lake and Wes singer had led a five-man ticket in the primary two weeks ago seeking the seat left vacant af ter the death of councilman John Schumpert. Dorn accepting academy bids Congressman Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn is now accepting applications for appointments to Annapolis, West Point, the Unit ed States Air Force Academy and the Merchant Marine Aca demy for classes beginning July 1973. Congressman Dorn said that information about the National Service Academies can be ob tained by contacting him at his office in Greenwood at 124 Federal Building or at his of fice in Washington at 2256 Ray burn House Office Building by September 30th. WWI veterans plan picnic The Veterans of World War I, USA Barracks 3032 and Au xiliary held their regular meet ings on August 27th at the Ame rican Legion Home. Plans were made for the an nual picnic which is to be held on September 24th at the Ame rican Legion Home at 3:00 P.M. This will take the place of our regular meeting. Families and friends are welcome. Bring your baskets and join us. A skydiving team carried the gameball into Setzler Field from a height of 8,000 feet for Newberry College’s opening football game against Emory & Henry Saturday night. The three divers from Den mark, S. C., freefall from 8,000 to 2,000 feet before they opened their parachutes; they then controlled their chutes so they landed on the field between the two 45-yard lines. The Indians used the highflying ball to defeat Emory & Henry 27-9.