This editorial discusses claims made by South Carolina's DMV director that nearly 1,000 dead people had voted in recent elections. The DMV director later acknowledged that at least some of those people were not actually dead, and some did not vote. The editorial argues that these conflicting claims show the need to fully investigate the matter before making judgments, as premature conclusions could undermine public trust in elections. It calls for suspending judgment until investigations are completed, and for the DMV and election officials to work cooperatively to determine the accurate facts.

1. FACEBOOK PAGE
All Daily Division
SECOND PLACE:
The Post and Courier

2. FACEBOOK PAGE
All Daily Division
FIRST PLACE:
The State
Dwayne McLemore and Gary Ward

3. ENTERTAINMENT SECTION
All Daily Division
THIRD PLACE:
Herald-Journal
Jose Franco
Escape

4. ENTERTAINMENT SECTION
All Daily Division
SECOND PLACE:
Independent Mail
Jake Grove and Kylie Yerka
Upstate Be
#1
Entertainment
Section in
South Carolina
V7I2
November 1-7,
2012
Launching
excitement
■ Balloons Over Anderson brings
three days of high-flying family fun. 4

5. ENTERTAINMENT SECTION
All Daily Division
FIRST PLACE:
´ ´
´ ´
´ ´
´ ´
The Island Packet
Liz Farrell
Lowcountry Current
indie darling
i

6. LIFESTYLE/FEATURE SPECIAL
EDITION OR SECTION
All Daily Division
THIRD PLACE:
Independent Mail
Willie Mae Mattress
and Melissa Lewis
Hometowner

7. LIFESTYLE/FEATURE SPECIAL
EDITION OR SECTION
All Daily Division
SECOND PLACE:
The Island Packet
Back to School

8. LIFESTYLE/FEATURE SPECIAL
EDITION OR SECTION
All Daily Division
FIRST PLACE: The sky’s the limit
High School Marching
Band Preview 2012
Herald-Journal
The Sky’s the Limit

9. E.A. RAMSAUR AWARD
FOR EDITORIAL WRITING
All Daily Division
THE GREENVILLE NEWS EDITORIAL
Yes, you owe that Amazon sales tax
I
gnorance of the law is Sometimes state states and why it has with a nexus, or physical
THIRD PLACE: no longer an excuse
when it comes to
South Carolina residents
paying sales tax on their
online purchases, espe-
cially when those pur-
residents truly don’t
understand that they
should be paying these
taxes, although any trip
through the state income
tax form will make it
continued to resist such
a law.
Allowing online retail-
ers to forgo collecting
the states’ sales tax gives
them a built-in compet-
presence, in a state had
to collect the sales tax.
Therefore Walmart had
to collect the tax on be-
half of the states, but
Amazon.com didn’t. And
The Greenville News
chases were made at clear that the payment is itive advantage in a those stores lining Main
Amazon.com. Over the due. Also, popular tax country where shaving 6 Street and in the shop-
past week or so, South software makes taxpay- percent or more off the ping malls, of course,
Carolinians who bought ers aware of this obliga- bottom line makes a had to collect the tax that
goods from the national tion as do tax accoun- difference when a cus- many states rely on
online retailer have tants. tomer goes through the heavily.
received notices in- And now, after heavy electronic checkout line. In South Carolina last
Beth Padgett
forming them of how debate revolved around Those online retailers year, Amazon almost
much they spent in 2011 Amazon last year in are competing with walked away from build-
and reminding them that South Carolina, any bricks-and-mortar stores ing a distribution center
“A sale is not exempt excuse has gone out the in South Carolina and in Lexington County
under state law because window. other states that are when the state House of
it is made through the Amazon.com is, well, required to collect the Representatives initially
Internet.” a giant when it comes to sales tax when someone refused to honor part of
In short, if you had online retail sales. It is buys a book, a sweater, a deal cut by outgoing Gov.
total sales ranging from the only top 10 web re- television or any other Mark Sanford that gave
a few dollars to much, tailer that doesn’t collect goods. the online retailer an
much more than that sales tax in most states Online retailers in exemption from having
from Amazon last year, where it does business, many cases get away to collect the sales tax.
you owe the state of according to Janet No- with not having to collect State legislators did
South Carolina its 6 per- vack in a February 2011 those taxes although the the right thing and cre-
cent sales tax on those article in Forbes titled customer still owes ated the exemption to
purchases. The same “Are Amazon.com’s those taxes when they save jobs that this state
standard also applies to Days of Tax Free Selling fill out their state income needs, but they also
other online purchases, Numbered?” Except for tax. Some bricks-and- insisted that Amazon
although many of them a few states, Amazon has mortar retailers even send South Carolina
were taxed at the point refused to locate dis- have reported seeing shoppers an annual tally
of purchase because tribution centers in customers come in to of all their purchases
those online retailers — states that plan to re- check out certain big- and a reminder that they
such as Walmart.com or quire it to collect sales ticket products and then may owe sales tax on
Target.com — have a tax on purchases made leave so they can make them. That deal is why
physical presence in our by residents of those the purchase from an those notices from Ama-
state and many others. states. online retailer not re- zon.com have arrived in
What’s on the line for It’s clear that sales quired to collect the email boxes in our state
states throughout the tax laws haven’t caught sales tax. over the past few days.
country isn’t chump up with the shopping The legal standard for Congress now is tak-
change. South Carolina habits of many people. having to collect the ing seriously the need
estimates that more than And it’s equally clear sales tax came out of a for federal legislation to
$110 million is owed in that the Internet is no 1992 Supreme Court require all but the small-
taxes on online pur- longer a novelty and thus ruling. This was at the est business to collect
chases, but a meager $1 it no longer needs legal time most of us were just sales taxes on online
million was collected last protection to allow it to getting acquainted with purchases. This law
year. That is money that flourish. That argument, computers and few should be passed to cre-
could be going for after all, is why Con- could imagine how in- ate a level playing field
schools and other vital gress initially refused to tegrated they would and shore up the budgets
services that is simply consider a federal law to become in our daily of state and local govern-
not being paid into the require online retailers lives. The legal standard ments throughout the
state treasury. to collect sales taxes for was that only companies country.

10. E.A. RAMSAUR AWARD
FOR EDITORIAL WRITING
All Daily Division
EDITORIALS
Don’t choke off beach access
SECOND PLACE:
S
ome residents of the Isle of p.m., March through September. The
Palms are trying to yank up the city would issue no more than 1,000.
The Post and Courier welcome mat for non-residents
who want to enjoy the beach. The
beach that belongs to the public, that is.
They don’t like so many people driving
The law would take effect in 2013.
And while it is reasonable for the Isle
of Palms to regulate parking within its
limits, a $65 season-long pass is out of
to the island and parking along streets reach for many, and more than needed
Elsa McDowell Stop dumping on us EDITORIALS near their houses. Public streets, that is.
Some have planted shrubs or put up
signs that limit parking on the shoulder
of the road. The shoulder which is the
by others who go to the beach once or
twice a summer.
There is one-day parking for $7 in the
commercial area of the island, but that is
public right of way, of course. a crowded area unsatisfactory to surfers
I
t’s almost too stupefying to believe: New zens’ health and quality of life than the dollars Some residents have legitimate beefs. and parents who must keep a clear view
Jersey doesn’t want to expose its citizens that would come in as a result of allowing ra- Apparently some visitors help them- of their children.
to 300 rail cars of nuclear-contaminated dioactive material to be dumped here.
dirt. So it wants to dump it in South Caro- The Conservation Voters of South Carolina
selves to residents’ water hoses and Folly Beach has issued high fines for lit-
lina, where such things actually can happen have collected 528 signatures on a petition ask- leave litter on their lawns. Their private tering, drinking alcohol and disorderly
— and they can happen at a low cost. ing Mrs. Templeton, legislators and Gov. Nikki property. conduct on the beach. It charges $1 an
It isn’t enough that South Carolina allows two Haley to reject this “attempt to clean up New But at the time they purchased or rent- hour for parking in small off-street areas.
other states to ship mountains of their waste to Jersey by soiling South Carolina.”
us, increasing the size and number of landfills The petition says, “For too long, South Caro- ed property on the Isle of Palms, resi- Fines help cover the cost of cleanup and
at the expense of our natural resources. Now lina has been used as the nation’s ‘pay toilet’ for dents knew, or should have known, that repair of beach paths. Those actions rec-
there is a real possibility that 15,000 tons of that trash, nuclear waste and hazardous and infec- the beach is public and the public must ognize the necessity of keeping order in
waste will be contaminated with radioactive, tious materials.”
infectious materials. The nation’s nuclear reactor waste is stored
have access to it. the beach community — while keeping
Sen. Phil Leventis, D-Sumter, is justifiably in the South Carolina’s Savannah River Site. That doesn’t mean, of course, that in- the public beach available to the public.
outraged. “Everyone — our governor and Landfills throughout the state are the deposi- appropriate or illegal behavior should Before imposing a fee that would ef-
citizens alike — should shout, WIMBY: ‘Why tory for so much waste from out of state that be tolerated. Drunkenness, littering fectively limit public access, the Isle of
in My Back Yard?’ ” he writes on today’s Com- they are commonly referred to as mega-dumps
mentary page. now. Because they are often located in poor,
and unsafe parking are problems for Palms should concentrate its efforts to
It seems state law can be interpreted as allow- rural areas without a powerful political voice, residents and visitors alike. That’s what addressing inappropriate and illegal
ing New Jersey to send the contaminated dirt like Marlboro, Williamsburg and Lee counties, the Isle of Palms Police Department can behavior by visitors. People who litter,
to the Lee County dump near Bishopville, even concerned citizens at the grass-roots level are address. trespass and park in front of residents’
though it does not allow household chemicals continually fighting the powerful waste indus-
like pesticides and solvents. Indeed, the S.C. try to protect the health of their environment What it means is that the city has to driveways should be stopped, just as peo-
Department of Health and Environmental and community. accommodate safely people who want ple who bend or break laws to prevent
Control initially approved the shipment of Make South Carolina business-friendly. to go to the beach for the day. They need the public from using the beach should
nuke dirt. DHEC’s new director, Catherine Bring new jobs and new industry. Facilitate
a place to park and an approach to the be stopped.
Templeton, wisely withdrew that permission growth by seeing that government runs effi-
and said the permit would have to be subject ciently. beach. There should be room on the Isle of
to public comment. But don’t sacrifice the very things that make In February, the Isle of Palms Plan- Palms both for residents and visitors,
Even better, DHEC’s regulations should very South Carolina appealing to citizens, prospec- ning Commission recommended a $65 and there is a salty sea breeze to take
clearly ban radioactive material from solid mu- tive citizens and business owners.
nicipal waste landfills. The Legislature and the If the waste is too hazardous for New Jersey,
seasonal pass to park on streets outside the edge off when tensions over park-
governor need to be more concerned about citi- it’s too hazardous for us. the commercial area from 10 a.m. to 5 ing build.

11. E.A. RAMSAUR AWARD
FOR EDITORIAL WRITING
All Daily Division
FIRST PLACE:
The State
Suspend judgment on dead-voters claims
Cindi Ross
F
OR TWO weeks, support- on voter lists that made it look like est back and forth between the “the state offered no additional sup-
ers of our state’s new voter people voted when they didn’t, peo- rookie DMV chief and the veteran porting documentation.”
identification law crowed ple who cast absentee ballots early election director. In December, Mr. Should Ms. Andino have warned
Scoppe that they had been vindi-
cated by the announcement by Gov.
Nikki Haley’s Department of Mo-
tor Vehicles director that nearly
and then died before Election Day,
a Sr. listed as voting when in fact it
was a Jr.
Does this mean there was no
Shwedo had said that Ms. Andino
ignored his warnings that the num-
ber of voters who don’t have a driv-
er’s license was inflated; she fired
the Justice Department of Mr.
Shwedo’s concerns? Probably.
Should Mr. Shwedo have discussed
his apparent dead-people finding
1,000 dead people had cast ballots. fraud? Unfortunately not, and Ms. back that he had taken liberties in with Ms. Andino before he threw
It was an extraordinary, and deeply Andino and SLED need to continue matching nearly identical names around claims about illegal voting?
disturbing, claim that finally their reviews, because with so ma- on the voting and driver’s license Certainly.
seemed to provide the evidence ny DMV records suggesting people lists. We hope Ms. Andino’s testimony
supporters had never bothered to died before ballots were cast in His dead-voters claim was a re- will cause politicians and voters to
present that we need such a law. their names, it seems quite possible buttal to her rebuttal, and it was as suspend judgment until the investi-
Or not. that there’s at least a little fire be- short on details as it was long on gations are completed. We hope
It turns out that at least some of hind all that smoke. drama. Were the votes cast in per- likewise that Mr. Shwedo and Ms.
those people weren’t really dead, What it means is that we son, which would support the need Andino will find a way to work co-
and some of them didn’t vote. We shouldn’t be so quick to accept for tougher voter ID requirements, operatively to sort out the numbers.
don’t know how many, because those claims that confirm our pre- or by mail, which would call for a If people have been casting bal-
Kevin Shwedo hadn’t provided conceived notions — particularly different remedy? How many elec- lots in the names of dead people, we
Election Commission Director when there are so many red flags. tions were covered? Had Mr. Shwe- need to find out who they were, and
Marci Andino with his list by the Cynics (and Democrats) say Mr. do been more careful in matching prosecute them if we can, and how
time she took her turn before a Shwedo’s headline-grabbing claim the names this time? they did it, and correct any short-
House subcommittee last week. was just a bit too convenient, com- Mr Shwedo said it wasn’t his job comings in our law that allowed
But she said that she had found no ing just a day after his boss an- to answer those questions, and this to happen. And if it turns out
indications of fraud among the 20 nounced plans to fight the U.S. Jus- there’s some truth to that, but it that this was all a big … misunder-
names she received from the attor- tice Department over its refusal to should have reminded us that the standing, the politicians who
ney general’s office, which appro- let the law take effect requiring vot- Justice Department dismissed his rushed to trumpet their alarmist
priately ordered an investigation ers to present a S.C. driver’s license claim about inflated numbers of ID- rhetoric need to work every bit as
based on Mr. Shwedo’s claim. What or federal identification in order to less voters because despite the fed- hard and as loudly to reassure the
she found instead were stray marks cast a ballot. It also was just the lat- eral agency’s attempts to verify it, voters that they were wrong.

12. PICTORIAL
Daily Under 20,000 Division
THIRD PLACE:
The Times and Democrat
Larry Hardy
Celebrating Freedom

13. PICTORIAL
Daily Under 20,000 Division
SECOND PLACE:
The Island Packet
Delayna Earley
Kayaks

14. PICTORIAL
Daily Under 20,000 Division
FIRST PLACE:
The Island Packet
Jay Karr
Double rainbow

15. PICTORIAL
Daily 20,000 - 50,000 Division
HONORABLE MENTION:
Herald-Journal
Alex C. Hicks Jr.
After the game

16. PICTORIAL
Daily 20,000 - 50,000 Division
HONORABLE MENTION:
Independent Mail
Ken Ruinard
Signs in raindrops

17. PICTORIAL
Daily 20,000 - 50,000 Division
THIRD PLACE:
Herald-Journal
Alex C. Hicks Jr.
Graduation

18. PICTORIAL
Daily 20,000 - 50,000 Division
SECOND PLACE:
Herald-Journal
Michael Justus
Roofing Crew

19. PICTORIAL
Daily 20,000 - 50,000 Division
FIRST PLACE:
Independent Mail
Ken Ruinard
Wet foot forward

20. PICTORIAL
Daily Over 50,000 Division
HONORABLE MENTION:
The Post and Courier
Grace Beahm
Watching the Game

21. PICTORIAL
Daily Over 50,000 Division
THIRD PLACE:
The Greenville News
Ken Osburn
Mini Storage

22. PICTORIAL
Daily Over 50,000 Division
SECOND PLACE:
The State
Gerry Melendez
State Fair

23. PICTORIAL
Daily Over 50,000 Division
FIRST PLACE:
The State
C. Aluka Berry
Dancing

24. HUMOROUS PHOTO
Daily Under 20,000 & 20,000-50,000 Divisions Combined
THIRD PLACE:
Herald-Journal
Michael Justus
Horse Face

25. HUMOROUS PHOTO
Daily Under 20,000 & 20,000-50,000 Divisions Combined
SECOND PLACE:
Morning News
Gavin Jackson
Police Radar

26. HUMOROUS PHOTO
Daily Under 20,000 & 20,000-50,000 Divisions Combined
FIRST PLACE:
The Sun News
Janet Blackmon
Morgan
Polar Plunge

27. HUMOROUS PHOTO
Daily Over 50,000 Division
THIRD PLACE:
The Post and Courier
Grace Beahm
Zipper the Squirrel

28. HUMOROUS PHOTO
Daily Over 50,000 Division
SECOND PLACE:
The Greenville News
Mykal McEldowney
Shoe

29. HUMOROUS PHOTO
Daily Over 50,000 Division
FIRST PLACE:
The Post and Courier
Leroy Burnell
Protesters Ringling Bros.
and Barnum & Bailey Circus’

30. NEWS HEADLINE WRITING
Daily Under 20,000 Division
THIRD PLACE:
The Island Packet
Steve Austin

31. NEWS HEADLINE WRITING
Daily Under 20,000 Division
SECOND PLACE:
The Times and Democrat Dark night
Carol Barker in Colorado
VALUES MEAL
Brothers busted after pot goes postal
By RICHARD WALKER a strong odor, Johnson said. “I asked
”
T&D Staff Writer (one of the subjects) if he minded
(opening the package). ”
ROWESVILLE — A package ad- Claiming the package contained
dressed to a Rowesville resident and shoes, the subject opened the box.
intercepted by police resulted in two Inside the box, the officer discovered
men being arrested on drug-related a plastic-wrapped block of what ap-
charges Wednesday. peared to be marijuana which had
Rowesville Police Chief Michael been covered in a scent-altering
Thomas said police seized a wrapped agent.
and scent-camouflaged package Thomas said while the investiga-
containing more than two pounds tion was under way at the post office,
Simpson Bowman
of marijuana at the Rowesville Post the other subject called the post of-
Office. Thomas said the package was fice multiple times to find out if the
mailed from Texas. hearing. package had arrived.
“It’s not common but it has taken Thomas said Sgt. Ronald Johnson “He took a ride as well, Thomas
”
place, the police chief said.
” was conducting a community policing said.
Michael Simpson, 40, and Wood- effort of making contact with busi- The two pounds of marijuana is
row Bowman, 35, brothers who live at ness owners rather than the cursory not enough to get federal authori- LARRY HARDY/T&D
101 Spring Street in Rowesville, were ride-by when he stopped at the Row- ties involved. But authorities on the Rowesville Police Chief Michael Thomas, left, and Sgt. Ronald
arrested on charges of possession esville Post Office at around 9 a.m. other end of the shipment in McAl- Johnson intercepted more than two pounds of marijuana discovered
with intent to distribute marijuana. and talked with the postmaster. len, Texas have been notified and in a package addressed to a Rowesville resident. The pot was found
The two men are expected to ap- “She said she had a package for a after the Rowesville postmaster alerted Johnson to “a strong odor”
pear in court Thursday for a bond subject, and she said it smelled ... like See POT, A3 emanating from the package.
LARRY HARDY/T&D
Three rows of vehicles queued up at the Orangeburg Chick-fil-A drive-thru on Wednesday afternoon. The day was declared “Chick-fil-A Appreciation
Day” by former Arkansas governor and Baptist minister Mike Huckabee.
Chick-fil-A customers flock to support
CEO’s traditional marriage stand

32. NEWS HEADLINE WRITING
Daily Under 20,000 Division
FIRST PLACE: NO PANE,
The Times and Democrat NO GAIN
City still hoping
GENE CRIDER/T&D
Broken windows line the Middleton
Street side of the old E-Mart Building,
which is situated on Orangeburg’s
Memorial Plaza. It was purchased for
$5 in December.
Wendy Jeffcoat Crider y g y g /g y
for change
after old E-Mart
building sold
By GENE ZALESKI
T&D Staff Writer
Smoke and fire Yellow caution tape cordons off the Mid-
dleton Street sidewalk along the former E-
Mart store, marking the location where glass
and other debris from the building once lit-
tered the sidewalk.
City crews have cleaned up the mess, but
the yellow caution tape remains at the site.
Downtown Orangeburg Revitalization
Cordova residence destroyed by blaze
Association Executive Director Bernice
Tribble called it a shame.
“I am disappointed that we have not been
able to have it restored at the time when it
was still possible. I am not sure it is possible
to save the building now, she said.
”
By RICHARD WALKER five minutes of being called but the Southwest Circle was on fire. the structure, although another The Rev. Victoria Golding of New York-
based Bethel Word of Faith Church Inter-
T&D Staff Writer home was already fully involved in Firefighters arrived within five home and a nearby wooded area national Ministries purchased the building
flames. minutes and found the struc- were threatened. about six years ago for $150,000. She had
plans to transform it into a worship, coun-
A Cordova residence was con- “Initial attack was made by way ture already had flames venting No one was home at the time of seling and outreach center.
sidered a complete loss after fire of a rear door, Adams said. “Fire-
” through the roof. the fire, authorities said.
Lucky strike
About two years ago, the Orangeburg
leveled the single-story home fighters observed heavy smoke Crews brought the flames under A cause for the fire has not yet Department of Public Safety deemed the
building unsafe for its fire safety officers. It
Wednesday morning. and fire to the left, front and to the control within another 15 minutes. been determined, Adams said. placed a notice on the building identifying it
Orangeburg Department of right.” However, the structure was deter- as unsafe for an interior fire attack.
Public Safety Capt. Mike Adams Emergency crews received the mined to be damaged beyond re- Contact the writer: rwalker@ In December 2011, the property was sold
to Earl Brooks for $5, according to Orange-
said firefighters arrived at the initial call around 10:45 a.m. that covery, authorities say. timesanddemocrat.com or burg County Register of Deeds records.
Southwest Circle residence within a residence on the 200 block of The flames were contained to 803-533-5516. Golding declined comment on the mat-
ter Friday, referring all questions to Brooks.
Brooks could not be reached for comment.
Orangeburg City Administrator John Yow
said, “We have placed phone calls and sent
letters to the new owner, discussing what
their plans are for securing the building.
“It is currently unsafe to enter and has
been posted as such. ”
Man survives lightning hit on Friday the 13th The building was built in 1909 by W.C.
Wolfe as a 100-room hotel.
At five stories, the hotel was the second-
tallest building in the state. In the early
1900s, the building was considered mod-
ern. It had electric lights, an electric eleva-
By RICHARD WALKER mower in the back yard of the residence for a been struck. Several years ago, a power pole tor and fans.
T&D Staff Writer job they’d planned to finish Friday. was hit. A 1941 fire destroyed the two upper floors
of the hotel. At the time, the first floor was
As the men were huddled around the The residential area off Neeses Highway occupied by the law office of Julian S. Wolfe,
On Friday the 13th, an Orangeburg man mower, clamping off a gas leak, Friday the is called “tornado alley” by those who live the Hutto and Haddock Barber Shop, and
became one of an estimated 360 U.S. resi- 13th arrived. there, he said. Walker & Bowman.
By 1956, the building was occupied by
dents per year who are struck by lightning. “That thing rolled up pretty quick,” the An estimated 40 people per year are killed WTND Radio, a station owned by The Times
Emergency crews were sent to the 200 witness said of the storm. by lightning strikes in the United States. Men and Democrat, and Dixie Home Building.
block of Tecza Drive about a mile west of The witness was knocked about 10 feet are four times as likely as women to be struck Prior to E-Mart’s arrival in 1980, the
building housed a Sears and a Belk Hud-
Drag Strip Road around 12:30 p.m. as a storm away and the victim was sent several feet in by lightning, according to NASA. son thrift store. E-Mart closed in January
front rolled in from the southwest. the opposite direction. Then came the ex- With his dad having been struck earlier, 2005.
The victim was said to be conscious and plosion of thunder. his friend struck Friday and several close CHRISTOPHER HUFF/T&D
■ Contact the writer: gzaleski@timesand- Yellow caution tape blocks the sidewalk along the Middleton Street side of the old E-Mart building.
talking with emergency crews before being The witness said he believes the lightning calls in between, the witness still says he democrat.com or 803-533-5551. The sidewalk was littered with debris as late as last week, although that has been cleaned up.
transported to the hospital. bolt may have struck the house initially, then doesn’t expect his turn is any closer.
And that was only after his Jack Russell traveled along a power line that provided a “I respect it, I’ll put it that way,” he said.
terrier, perched on the prostrate man, work shed with electricity. “Lightning ain’t nothing to play with.”
reluctantly allowed Emergency Medical “I think it hit him in the leg. His eyes were
Services workers to approach him. rolling in his head,” the man said. “I was
A witness who didn’t provide his name afraid he was paralyzed.” ■ Contact the writer: rwalker@
said he and the victim were preparing a lawn It’s not the first time the residence has timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5516.

33. NEWS HEADLINE WRITING
Daily Over 50,000 Division
ELECTING A PRESIDENT
THIRD PLACE: THE
The State IT’S DISTRICT 3 SECOND
AT THE DOOR ROUND
Bobby Bryant
GRIDLOCK? WHERE?
Despite new rules and updated lots, USC game traffic ‘great’
By JOHN MONK
jmonk@thestate.com
traffic crunch, law enforcement officials
said.
IOWA
NEW HAMPSHIRE
But, apart from a bit of extra gridlock
CAU
PRIMARY
Upward of 80,000 fans in more than largely due to acres of modernized park-
20,000 cars, vans and SUVs converged on ing on the site of the old Farmers Market,
Williams-Brice Stadium for the USC
opening home football game over the
nothing gummed up the normal ebullient CUSES
weekend, causing the usual pre-game SEE GAME PAGE A12
GERRY MELENDEZ/GMELENDEZ@THESTATE.COM
Yard signs for two District 3 candidates are up in the Rosewood
TIM DOMINICK/TDOMINICK@THESTATE.COM neighborhood. WHAT THE POLLS SAY INSIDE
The latest polls show that former Massachusetts Mitt Romney’s
Gov. Mitt Romney is leading heading into today’s vote.
Council race goes house to house A tracking poll conducted for 7 News/Suffolk Univer-
sity found Romney was first with 33 percent saying he
company, Bain
Capital,
as candidates hunt for votes was their choice. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was sec-
ond at 20 percent. Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman was becomes an
third at 13 percent, and former U.S. House Speaker issue in the
the April 3 election: Dis- GET REGISTERED Newt Gingrich was fourth at 11 percent.
By MINDY LUCAS
mlucas@thestate.com trict 2, District 3 and a city- Another poll, conducted for WMUR/University of New race: Did it
wide seat. The District 3 Live in the city of Co-
Hampshire, also shows Romney out front, with Paul create jobs or
Columbia’s District 3 seat has the most crowded lumbia and want to
second and Huntsman and former U.S. Sen. Rick San-
City Council race is start- field, with candidates vote? March 3 is the torum of Pennsylvania tied for third. kill them? A5
ing to heat up in the com- jockeying for name recog- last day to register.
pressed campaign season nition and early voter Forms must be post-
ABOUT THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY Election briefs,
before April’s city commitments. marked before or on
elections. Isgett, who has been March 3 or dropped off The New Hampshire primary is a different animal A5
“People have just now knocking on doors and at- by March 2 at the Rich- than the Iowa caucuses.
started to get engaged in tending neighborhood land County Office of In New Hampshire, voters don’t gather, listen to a
this race,” said Jenny Is- meetings since October, Elections and Voter speech and determine which candidate will get their ON THE WEB
gett, an attorney and one said she was only now support. Instead, they go to a polling place and cast a
Registration, 2020 More political
of four candidates run- starting to get yard signs ballot. Republican and Independents can vote; Demo-
ning for the seat being va- out in greater numbers.
Hampton St. Applica-
tions are available at crats cannot. coverage, Andy
cated by Belinda Gergel. “It’s been a busy week,” One thing to watch: Who do independents support?
“People are starting to she said. “We’re staying that office, at local Shain’s S.C.
Do they buoy Paul, as they did in Iowa, and Huntsman,
take an interest and are busy 24-7.” libraries or online at Primary Blog at
as polls suggest they will in New Hampshire? That’s
asking some good She’s not alone. In fact, scvotes.org or important because the S.C. primary is open, meaning
questions.” rcgov.us/departments/ thestate.com
independents and even Democrats can vote here.
Three seats are open in SEE COUNCIL PAGE A6 elections. Polls open as early as 7 a.m., with the last polling
places closing at 8 p.m.

34. NEWS HEADLINE WRITING
Daily Over 50,000 Division Bill would
ban chirpy
SECOND PLACE: greeting
Sometimes, it’s not
The Post and Courier a great day in S.C.
Bob Kinney BY YVONNE WENGER
ywenger@postandcourier.com
COLUMBIA — A couple of state
Democrats want to can Gov. Nikki
Haley’s “It’s a great day in South Caro-
lina” greeting for making bureaucrats
out to be pollyannas.
The Republican governor’s widely
parodied idea to market South Caro-
lina with a cheery greeting would be
outlawed under a bill by Reps. Wen-
Rodricus never had a chance dell Gilliard of Charleston and John
King of Rock Hill.
“My feelings on that are, why would
you want to say, ‘It’s a great day in
2-year old treated with disdain, then worse, by his father South Carolina,’ when we’re still in
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is based on ing there to say ‘Bless you,’ ” said Huger, a showered him with affection. double-digit unemployment, people
sworn testimony from last week’s homi-
cide by child abuse trial of Roger Williams.
close friend of the family.
He loved to eat grits, or “gits,” as he would
If only his father, Roger Anthony Williams,
had felt the same way. Instead, his indiffer-
are still losing their homes, the home-
say. If he was hungry, he would get what he ence would snuff out his son’s loving spirit less population in the state of South
BY NATALIE CAULA wanted. Rodricus started walking and talk- before it ever had a chance to blossom.
ncaula@postandcourier.com ing by the time was 8 months old. He loved Williams seemed hesitant to fill the role of Carolina is still on the increase?” Gil-
to do things for himself and be a little helper being Rodricus’ father, according to Wash- liard said.
Rodricus Williams loved to sing “Jesus to others. ington, who struck up a relationship with
Loves Me.” It became a ritual in the morn- “In the morning when we’d head to school, Williams after meeting him at a mall in 2006. Haley, saying that some might find
ings at the Mount Pleasant home of Connie
Huger, who started watching the toddler
he always tried to take his stroller down the
steps. He’d climb in and strap himself in,” his
They lasted less than a year as a couple, break-
ing up when Williams got angry at Washing-
the idea “hokey,” asked government
when he was about 5 months old to help his mother, Shaneka Washington, said. ton for wanting to go out with her friends on
PROVIDED
mother out. He constantly told people he loved them,
“He could not sneeze without someone be- from strangers at the mall to his family, who Please see RODRICUS, Page A8 Rodricus Williams told everyone he loved them. Please see GREETING, Page 2B

35. NEWS HEADLINE WRITING
Daily Over 50,000 Division
FIRST PLACE:
The Post and Courier ELECTION 2012
Beth Harrison
OBAMA ENCORE
PRESIDENT DEFEATS ROMNEY WITH SHARP
FOCUS ON BATTLEGROUND STATES
PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Teed off about rain?
Politics as stormy as weather I
Find out how weather might affect the PGA Championship
f rain continues at the
Ocean Course, here’s
Obama, Christie tour Sandy’s wreckage Part of a
home rests
what might be ahead for
the PGA Championship:
upside-down Monday finish
Inside BY DAVID ESPO
and JULIE PACE
helicoptered with Gov. Chris Chris-
tie over washed-out roads, flooded
in Seaside
Heights, N.J.,
The PGA Champion-
ship has been forced to a
How to help. A4 Associated Press homes, boardwalks bobbing in the on Wednesday, Monday finish three times
ocean and, in Seaside Heights, a fire after Super- in the past 36 years (2005,
Local volunteers BRIGANTINE, N.J. — President still burning after ruining about storm Sandy 1986 and 1976).
pitching in. A4 Barack Obama soberly toured the eight structures. made landfall 54 holes
Guard delivers destruction wrought by Superstorm Back on the ground, the president there Monday The PGA has never been
aid in Hoboken. Sandy on Wednesday in the compa- introduced one local woman to “my evening. cut to 54 holes since going
A5 ny of New Jersey’s Republican gover- guy Craig Fugate.” In a plainspo- The rest of to stroke play in 1958.
nor and assured victims “we will not ken demonstration of the power of the home sat
Sandy roundup, quit” until cleanup and recovery are the presidency, Obama instructed away from Suspended play
by the numbers. Play is suspended often
complete. Six days before their hard- the man at the head of the Federal its original
due to weather, with play-
A5 fought election, rival Mitt Romney Emergency Management Agency, spot and in ers forced to play more
muted criticism of Obama as he a 7,500-employee federal agency, the middle than 18 holes in one day.
Locals ready for
barnstormed battleground Florida. to “make sure she gets the help she of a street.
NYC marathon.
Forsaking partisan politics for Read more about how
C1 WADE SPEES/STAFF
the third day in a row, the president Please see SANDY, Page A3 JULIO CORTEZ/AP the rain will affect the
Spectators slog their way around the Ocean Course during the rains that dampened Wednesday’s prac-
tournament on C1. tice at the PGA Championship on Kiawah Island.