Tuesday, April 15, 2003 (Final edition posted at 9:50 a.m.)

ABC News anchor to lead presidential debate

Nine candidates seeking the Democratic Party presidential nomination will debate at the University of South Carolina in Columbia on May 3. ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos will moderate the debate.

The candidates in the debate are former U.S Sen. Carol Moseley Braun; former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean; US Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina; US Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri; US Sen. Bob Graham of Florida; US Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts; US Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio; US Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut; and the Rev. Al Sharpton of New York.

South Carolina's early Democratic primary on Feb. 3, 2004, has made the state important for those vying for the presidential nomination.

Senate plans panel to examine water

From today's Beaufort Gazette:

"A five-year drought that gripped South Carolina and the Southeast elevated the need for water-resource management to a the priority list of many public officials.

"While rains during the winter helped alleviate the severity of the drought, officials say it could take years to fully replenish underground aquifer.

"As the coastal plain's population grows, so does the demand on water from the Savannah River. A recently introduced bill in the S.C. Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee is timely and a move in the right direction. Georgia lawmakers began late last year examining the effects of commercial development on the state's rivers, especially the Savannah River, where Beaufort and Jasper counties pump 30 million gallons of water a day."

Also below, see commentary by the Rev. Jesse Jackson Jr. on the Greenville MLK holiday debate. Opinion.

• Graham called to active duty at Charleston air base this week The State

• Harrison says Kerry should apologize. SC Rep. Jim Harrison, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said Sen. John Kerry should apologize for criticizing President Bush during the war with Iraq. The State/AP

Senate budget writers save agency House eliminated
The Procurement Review Panel, a two-employee agency that handles complaints about state contract awards which was eliminated by the House was saved by a Senate Finance subcommittee. The State/AP

* Senate to review hog farm legislation
Several senators say a bill to limit local government's ability to regulate hog and chicken farms will face more review in the Senate than it did when it was approved by the House. Myrtle Beach Sun News/AP

* South Carolina joins fight against federal insurance oversight
South Carolina has become the first state to form a chapter of a group that wants to prevent federal oversight of the insurance agency. WCIV-TV/AP, WLTX-TV

* Sanford to visit Rock Hill
Gov. Mark Sanford will visit a Rock Hill machinery company today to promote his proposal to lower the state income-tax rate. Rock Hill Herald

More black voters turned out in November election that thought. Spartanburg Herald-Journal

* Three seek District 18 Senate seat
Democrat Jim Lander is trying to regain his old Senate seat, but is opposed by Republican Ronnie Cromer and Libertarian Steve Cain. Union Daily

• Beaufort County School Board examines budget Beaufort Gazette
• * Beaufort County Council members question whether proposed school budget cuts are political rather than unavoidable Hilton Head Island Packet
• * Forty teaching positions at risk in Beaufort County because of budget shortfalls Carolina Morning News

* MUSC plans to make use of old Charleston High School
The university may start renovations on the 83-year-old abandoned school on Rutledge Avenue and build onto it, adding another building, a parking garage and retail space. Post and Courier

* Georgetown schools to name teacher of the year
The teacher of the year will be selected from the five finalists at 7 p.m. tonight at a banquet at Litchfield Beach and Golf Resort. Myrtle Beach Sun News

* Fort Mill considers year-round high school
In an effort to accommodate the growing number of students in the district, Fort Mill High School students may be in class all year long. Rock Hill Herald

Some residents hesitant over Conestee cleanup
If the Conestee Foundation gets it's funding it plans to turn the polluted Lake Conestee into a hiking and wildlife habitat, but some residents are worried that the cleanup might draw developers who will want to put up expensive housing. Greenville News

Columbia depends on family's land for greenway
The Guignard family land is pivotal for the future of the Three Rivers Greenway along Columbia's Congaree riverfront which the city is hoping will bring more residential and commercial development downtown. The State

Lake Wateree residents deal with flooding
Four-plus days of persistent rain nudged the water level of the Lake Wateree up past the flood stage to five feet past full pool. WIS-TV

• * Duke Power has been forced to run turbines 24 hours a day to reduce the risk of flooding Post and Courier

Hunting Island's lighthouse gets bath
The cleanup of Huntings Island's lighthouse area and lighthouse was paid for by the Friends of Hunting Island. Beaufort Gazette

* Bluffton developer told to clean up
State officials have asked the developer of Hampton Hall in Bluffton to take some steps to make sure construction activity doesn't bring out too much mud and dirt onto Old Miller Road, where ditches drain into nearby Stoney Creek. Hilton Head Island Packet

Clemson research could help diabetes victims
Clemson University plant biochemist Brandon Moore and a team of scientists have found that glucose acts as a hormone in plants, a finding that could help people battling diabetes and obesity. Greenville News

Grand Strand tourism leader Ashby Ward dies
Ashby Ward, head of the Grand Strand's tourism efforts, has died of apparent natural causes. The State/AP,* Myrtle Beach Sun News

New Habitat leader hopes to meet needs
Greenville County's new executive director of Habitat for Humanity, Dime Hollingsworth, wants to see an increase in the number of homes being built this year to meet the growing number of low-income families. Greenville News

Easley ward lines face changes
On Monday the state suggested major changes to the City Council ward boundaries to give citizens a more fair representation on the council. Greenville News

Powdersville sees increase in development
Powdersville is planning on getting extra turning lanes, traffic lights and a new Sonic restaurant this summer. Greenville News

Meeting helps clear up building codes confusion in Laurens. Greenville News

Richland County starts budget process
Richland County Council's priorities as it starts to put together a budget for the year are ensuring public safety and improving neighborhoods. The State

City Council approves amendments to ordinance
Spartanburg City Council approved a first reading of amendments to the city's sign ordinance Monday night. Spartanburg Herald-Journal

Election board denies Stewart's GOP run
The Beaufort County Board of Elections and Voter Registration will not allow an area businessman to run as a Republican candidate for a vacant County Council seat because he missed the filing deadline. Beaufort Gazette,* Hilton Head Island Packet,* Carolina Morning News

* Beaufort names five citizens to advisory panel
Beaufort County Council has selected five citizens who represents all geographic areas of the county to help find a new county administrator. Hilton Head Island Gazette

* Florence County Council suggests budget proposal changes
Instead of a $15 increase in the county's road maintenance fee and a 2 percent hospitality fee in unincorporated areas, the budget that will be presented will include a business license fee in unincorporated areas to cover the approximately $3.2 million funding shortfall the county faces. Florence Morning News

* Florence City Council takes step to implement hospitality tax
The 2-percent fee would be imposed on all retail operations within the City of Florence that serve prepared food and/or beverages. Florence Morning News

* Schools join reassessment cap lawsuit
The Charleston County School Board decided who would lead the search for the next superintendent and opted to join a lawsuit against a countywide property reassessment cap. Post and Courier

* Race for North Charleston County Council begins Post and Courier

• Filing for election over in Summerville, only two incumbents are unopposed Post and Courier
  

The sacrifice and service of Pvt. Hutchings echoes through the Upstate
"Wars are costly -- in lives, resources and some of the finest people a nation has to offer. This community learned of its loss Sunday when the word reached the Upstate that Pvt. Nolen Ryan Hutchings had been killed in action." Spartanburg Herald-Journal

He died a Marine
"The death of Hutchings is felt keenly in Boiling Springs, where he was well-liked and respected. His death also touches others in this state, and this nation, who understand that sometimes the ultimate sacrifice is required to preserve liberty and extend freedom to oppressed people in the far corners of the world." Greenville News

Senate panel's tax swap a step in right direction
"In agreeing to the governor's plan to increase the state's rock-bottom cigarette tax and reduce our above-average income tax rates, members of the Senate Finance Committee have made some important statements about government." The State

Senate plans panel to examine water
"A five-year drought that gripped South Carolina and the Southeast elevated the need for water-resource management to a the priority list of many public officials." Beaufort Gazette

* Needed challenge on DUI law
"A state lawsuit opposing the federal government's interference with the state's drunken driving laws could help restore some needed balance to the federal-state relationship. The federal government shouldn't be allowed to force changes in state law by withholding funds that should rightfully be the state's." Post and Courier

* Today's Heritage ceremony follows tumultuous year
"Just as the winds off Calibogue Sound challenge the mettle of the golfer standing on the 18th tee, so have the events of the past year challenged the mettle of The Heritage professional golf tournament that officially opens at noon today." Hilton Head Island Packet

* Military pay should give our troops peace of mind
"The all-volunteer military is great … if we can afford it. If some food lines are any indication, though, we’re not doing such a great job to assure that we will continue to have an all-volunteer force." Greenwood Index-Journal

Jackson: King holiday would honor unity he sought to foster
"The vote to adopt the Martin Luther King holiday for Greenville County is indeed a matter of epic proportions. It is a vote that addresses basic principles of justice, equality and fairness. These are religious principles, in which American values are deeply rooted, though they are not always applied with integrity." Greenville News

Scoppe: The Senate ... now more proactive than ever
"In a decade and a half of watching the General Assembly, I've grown accustomed to thinking of the House as the progressive body, the body to turn to when you want good legislation passed. The Senate is the place where bills go to die." The State

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