Rivera tops list of 2000's notable news

Web posted Sunday, December 31, 2000

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By Brandon Haddock
Staff Writer

The year 2000 was supposed to be a new beginning, a chance to start anew. Instead, Augusta fell victim to many of the woes it faced in years past, despite pledges to prevent problems such as water shortages, flooding and government ineptitude.

More tragically, the year meant a violent, grisly end for some local women, who authorities say died at the hands of one man.

Reinaldo J. Rivera JONATHAN ERNST/STAFF

Police in Richmond and Columbia counties have charged Reinaldo Javier Rivera, 37, in the September slaying of 21-year-old Marni Glista, a sergeant at Fort Gordon, and the June death of 17-year-old Tabatha Leigh Bosdell.

Mr. Rivera also faces charges of sexual assault and murder in Aiken County, where police say he killed Tiffaney Wilson and Melissa Dingess, both 17, in separate incidents in 1999.

If convicted in either state, Mr. Rivera could face the death penalty.

According to accounts from authorities, the husband, father and former Navy officer led a double life, preying on local women until an Augusta teen-ager survived an assault and was able to describe him to police.

Law enforcement officials in several states now are investigating Mr. Rivera's past for possible links to unsolved crimes in their jurisdictions.

Although crime dominated headlines for much of 2000's later months, the year also brought significant political change.

After decades of often fiery debate, the South Carolina Legislature voted in May to remove the Confederate flag from the Statehouse in Columbia. In a solemn ceremony July 1, two Citadel cadets drew the flag down from its staff atop the Capitol, as the emblem's supporters raised another flag at a Confederate war memorial nearby.

The flag was lowered six months after the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People launched an economic boycott of the state to protest the banner's placement.

At nearly the same time, South Carolina settled another issue that had divided the state, putting an end to one of its most controversial industries - video poker.

The flashy screens of the thousands of video-poker machines throughout the state went black at midnight June 31. The end came after months of legal wrangling over the issue, with video-poker operators seeking to circumvent or overturn a 1999 ruling by the state Supreme Court that sounded the industry's demise.

Some of the banned machines found their way into Georgia, sending local officials scrambling to find ways to prevent the video-poker industry from taking root.

Some things, however, didn't change. For the third consecutive year, the area faced summertime water shortages, and outdoor watering restrictions.

Richmond and Columbia counties imposed watering restrictions in May, weeks before Georgia's Environmental Protection Division implemented statewide restrictions in June. The state rules remain in place, although area public-works officials said in September that the local shortage had been remedied.

But the summer also brought too much water at times. Sudden and severe rains in June flooded homes and businesses in parts of Richmond and Columbia counties, causing extensive damage.

The floods brought complaints from many landowners that too little had been done to prevent flooding, and sent local officials scrambling to come up with plans to address future concerns.

Weeks later, a plane crash claimed the lives of some of Augusta's most prominent residents. Former state Sen. Thomas F. Allgood Sr., 71, his wife, Thelma, 61, and their veteran pilot, Steve Patterson, 53, died when their 1998 Piper Malibu Mirage crashed as it took off from Daniel Field airport.

A federal investigation into the accident continues.

The year brought tumult to Augusta's city government, as several city officials left their posts. Embattled Fire Chief Ronnie Few was the first to go, leaving to head the Washington, D.C., Department of Fire and Ambulance Services as rumors swirled concerning his tenure in Augusta.

Chief Few was questioned repeatedly by a special grand jury investigating allegations of corruption in Augusta government. In September, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation seized some records at the city's fire department after questions were raised about the handling of a ``media'' account.

Chief Few has said he is innocent of any wrongdoing, and no charges have been filed against him.

Other city officials left under different circumstances. City Administrator Randy Oliver left in October to become city manager in Greenville, S.C., the biggest name in a line of departures that included Human Resources Director John Etheridge, Information Technology Director Clifford Rushton, and Al McDill, director of Augusta Regional Airport at Bush Field.

The year in sports brought a new Masters champion. Fiji native Vijay Singh won the green jacket to claim his first major professional golf title.

A local golfer, Charles Howell, also experienced success, winning the NCAA individual golf title before turning pro. And Lincoln County High School football coach Larry Campbell, who has led the Red Devils to nine state titles during his 27-year career, was inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations Hall of Fame.

Reach Brandon Haddock at (706) 823-3409.

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