Across the area

Web posted Wednesday, November 1, 2000

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From Staff and Wire Reports

BURKE COUNTY
Motorist, 77, dies in train collision

A motorist collided with a train Tuesday afternoon in Burke County and was killed, authorities said.

Shortly after 1 p.m., William Dodd, 77, was driving south on U.S. Highway 25 Bypass when he approached a railroad crossing, Georgia State Trooper Tony Saunders said.

The descending arms of the crossing's warning signal struck the man's vehicle but he proceeded through the crossing and was hit by the train, Trooper Saunders said.

Mr. Dodd, who was from St. Simons Island, Ga., died immediately from several massive injuries to his neck, head and chest, Burke County Coroner Craig Kennedy said.

Mr. Kennedy, who pronounced the motorist dead at the scene, said Mr. Dodd was the only occupant of the vehicle, and no one else was injured.

The train was stalled for several hours during the investigation, blocking some traffic intersections in the area, officials said.

RICHMOND COUNTY
Apartment fire ruled accidental

Augusta-Richmond County fire investigators have determined that a Friday night fire at The Huntington Apartments was an accident.

The fire, which started at about 7 p.m., burned through the 1100 building of the apartment complex at 2900 Perimeter Parkway. It originated in the bedroom of a second-floor apartment, 1114-B, Lt. G.B. Hannan said. He refused to specify the cause of the blaze.

Six apartments on the second and third floors of the building were heavily damaged by the fire, and all of the residents living in the building's 20 apartments were displaced.

Although some of the residents had stated that they did not hear smoke alarms until after they escaped their apartments, Lt. Hannan said he checked the alarms in the apartment building and confirmed that they were working that night.

COLUMBIA COUNTY
Local GOP greets Bush tour bus

The main event in Columbia County on Tuesday night might have been trick-or-treating, but for Republicans it was also a night to rally together.

Approximately 100 Republican supporters attended a Halloween pizza party held by U.S. Rep. Charlie Norwood to support the Bush for President bus tour, which stopped in front of Athens Restaurant and Taverna on Bobby Jones Expressway.

At the event, bus tour officials, local Republican candidates and Augusta Mayor Bob Young stood in front of the restaurant with the tour bus as a backdrop while urging people to vote Republican on Nov. 7.

Mr. Young used the event to talk about Al Gore, the Democratic candidate for president.

``It's Halloween, and you may have noticed a man here from Tennessee walking around with a bag of tricks,'' he said. ``Don't buy into it.''

The party was also a rally for Georgia Senate candidate Mack Mattingly, who is challenging Sen. Zell Miller to fill the seat left vacant by Paul Coverdell. Mr. Mattingly was not at the rally but has been traveling with the bus tour. Tuesday marked the first day for the statewide tour, which will cover 23 cities in five days leading up to Election Day.

GEORGIA
Ritalin pills stolen from school

ATHENS - More than 100 Ritalin pills were stolen from an Athens elementary school - the second theft of the drug from a Clarke County school in six weeks.

The pills were stolen from Whit Davis Elementary School between 11:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. Sunday, police said. The school's front door was unlocked for a church group, and someone broke into a locked office to steal the pills from a medicine cart.

Ritalin is a stimulant primarily prescribed for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

During two weeks in mid-September, 283 Ritalin pills were stolen from Coile Middle School in Winterville. The thefts are unrelated, police said.

Clarke County pupils who take prescribed medications during the day are required to turn the medicine in to administrators, who then dispense it to the children as needed.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Team will examine nuclear leak

CHARLESTON - Federal officials will send a special inspection team to review a crack in a pipe discovered in the V.C. Summer nuclear plant last week.

The team from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will review operations and the plant's inservice inspection program, officials said.

The regulatory commission also will have a meeting that will be open to the public to discuss its preliminary findings with the company.

Inspectors at the Summer nuclear plant in Fairfield County discovered the leak during a routine inspection. Workers found about 100 pounds of boron below a pipe on the floor. Boron is used to regulate the fission process and had dissolved in the leaking water.

A spokesman for South Carolina Electric & Gas, which owns two-thirds of the Summer plant, said the radioactive water that leaked from the crack did not endanger anyone. The leak also was not significant enough to trip the plant's monitoring system.

The plant's reopening has been delayed until late November or early December until the crack is repaired and the radioactive material is removed.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Lawmaker's widow will seek seat

GREENVILLE - The widow of Terry Haskins said she likely would seek her late husband's South Carolina House seat.

Gloria Haskins made her announcement Monday, even as one other Republican said he would run and others said they were considering it.

``Terry made me promise him that I'd (run),'' she said.

Greenville lawyer Jeffrey A. Phillips announced his candidacy, and congressional aide Daniel Hamilton said he is considering a bid.

Mr. Haskins, the House speaker pro tem, died Oct. 23 after a five-year battle with cancer. A special primary will be held Nov. 28 with a runoff Dec. 12 to fill his seat. If there is no runoff, the general election will be held Dec. 12. If there is a runoff, the general election will be Jan. 9.

No Democrats have announced they will run in the solidly Republican district.

SOUTH CAROLINA
Woman pleads in embezzlement

ORANGEBURG - A former office manager for a nonprofit mental health agency has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $44,000.

Velina Renee Thompson, a former employee of Self Help Association Regarding Emotions, or SHARE, was sentenced to 10 years in prison Monday on three counts of embezzlement of public funds, Assistant Attorney General Brad Cranshaw said.

That sentence was suspended to two years in jail and five years' probation, Mr. Cranshaw said. She also must repay the stolen money.

Ms. Thompson used company credit cards to pay for clothes, vacations and other items, Mr. Cranshaw said.

Most of SHARE's $300,000 annual budget comes from the state Mental Health Department.

Ms. Thompson was indicted by the state grand jury in July 1999.

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