The Times and Democrat from Orangeburg, South Carolina • 18

Sunday, April 25, 1999 fl.oc:ii-i's-irv"iriE THE TIMES AND DEMOCRAT Orangeburg, S.C. Are new tests too hard, too "What we've heard for the most part is things went pretty well," said Susan Agruso, the state Education Department's director of assessment. The department will hold workshops this summer to work out problems with the test length, she said. Assistant Principal Debbie Thrist at Summerville Elementary School said each part of the test at her school took about two hours. The tests were given in grades three through eight this week.

The PACT tests replaced the 20-year-old Basic Skills Assessment Program. That multiple-choice test was often criticized as too easy to provide helpful information. The old tests took no more than an hour and 15 minutes, Thrist -V PACT is meant to measure whether South Carolina students can compete with other states and meet new national standards. By The Associated Press CHARLESTON, S.C. State education officials have worried whether new standardized tests being given this month are too hard.

Some teachers say they're too long. Three hours is too long for third-graders to maintain focus and be enthusiastic and productive," some teachers at Mount Pleasant Academy wrote last week in an analysis of the new Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test "It was just unbelievably long," said Principal Jane Davis, who let some students eat lunch before they finished the test. "Our basic concern with it was the length." The state had estimated each part of the test would take between 90 minutes and three hours. The tests were spread over several days. Three-quarters of the questions on the math and English-language arts portions are multiple choice but the others require students to.

write essays, complete sentences, edit paragraphs or make charts or diagrams. "Definitely much more difficult, much more challenging, much more high-level," said Davis. Some of her teachers questioned whether the questions were appropriate for their grade level The state is still using the BSAP exit exam for lOth-grade students this year. Those same students will take PACT exit exams next year. The PACT results will be used to produce report cards on individual schools that the General Assembly is requiring under the accountability law approved last year.

PACT scores will get back to districts in September. Officials warn to expect lower scores. Criminal probe of Hornets owner reopened CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) The criminal sexual conduct investigation of Charlotte Hornets owner George Shinn has been reopened and expanded, a prosecutor says. "I'm going to start this whole thing over," York County, S.C, prosecutor Tommy Pope told The Charlotte Observer on Friday.

Pope, who declined to prosecute charges by Leslie Price of Matt-hews against Shinn in 1997 because of a lack of evidence, says new information prompted the decision. The South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division's lead agent in the 1997 investigation said last month her boss ordered her not to check leads about other possible victims. A former team cheerleader last month alleged an attack by Shinn nearly identical to the one Price said occurred at his home in Tega Cay, S.C. A third woman, a former Hornets employee, emerged in court papers, alleging Shinn groped her and made lewd comments. "I'm not saying there will be a charge, and Fm not saying there won't be a charge," Pope said.

"It could be that these other women don't change much about the case. But from what I understand, it looks like things are a little different than they were before." Pope said investigators never told him there might have been other victims. "I knew there were rumors of other relationships, but there was no indication that they might involve abusive behavior," he said. The new information comes in a lawsuit Price filed against Shinn in Columbia after Pope refused to prosecute. Shinn has sued Price in Charlotte for slander and extortion.

Shinn could not be reached Saturday. His attorney, Bill Diehl, refused to talk to The Observer about Pope's decision. Diehl said previously Shinn's relationships with Price and the cheerleader were consensual Pope met with Price for two hours Thursday and plans to interview the other two women. He met with SLED Chief Robert Stewart on Friday, asking for further investigation. Pope has assigned an investigator from his office to monitor the case.

Mrs. Pamela J. Elliott Mrs. Pamela Joan Elliott, 75, died Saturday, April 24, 1999, at the residence of her daughter in Cameron. The funeral will be held at 9 a.m.

Tuesday at 'St. Peter's Catholic Church in Beaufort. Burial will be in Beaufort National Cemetery. Mrs. Elliott was born in South Africa, a daughter of the late John Studley Elliott and Frances Austen Elliott.

She lived in Australia until 1944 when she came to the United States as a war bride. She lived in Beaufort for the past 40 years. She was a longtime assistant to the Beaufort city manager and personnel manager of the Southeastern Region for W. S. Grant Department Stores.

She was a member of St. Peter's Catholic Church of Beaufort and a volunteer in the Vacation Bible School. She was the widow of Peter S. Dernoga. Survivors include a daughter, Mrs.

Pamela D. Phillips of Cameron; a son, Peter S. Dernoga II of Hilton Head; a sister, Mrs. Joyce E. Fountain of Colorado Springs, and four grandchildren.

The family suggests memorials may be made to Hospice of the Regional Medical Center, P.O. Box 2352, Orangeburg, S.C. 29116. A. Gene Gooch Andrew Gene Gooch, 72, of 280 Hecawege Summerton, died Saturday, April 24, 1999, at his residence.

I Graveside services will be held at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Gooch Family Cemetery in Summerton, with the Rev. Larry Gooch officiating. Mr. Gooch was born in Lancaster County, a son of the late Andrew M.

Gooch and Kerried Neal Gooch. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean 1 War. He was a former maintenance supervisor with Santee Print Works in Sumter and a former maintenance supervisor with Spring Mills in Lancaster. He was a member of Grace Pres-! byterian Church in Lancaster.

Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Hettie Thompson Gooch of the home; two daughters, Ms. Carol Starnes and Mrs. Wendy IWatkins, both of Summerton; two sisters, Mrs. Frankie Cook of Pineville, N.C., and Mrs.

Jackie Carter of South Boston, a brother Mike Gooch of Fort Lawn; four grandchildren and. four great-grandchildren. Friends may call at the residence and at Avinger Funeral Home of Holly Hill on Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. The family suggest that memorials made to Hospice of Tuomey Hospital, 31 E. Calhoun Sumter, S.C.

29150. Foster Hightower The funeral for Foster High-tower, 86, of Bamberg Nursing Center, Bamberg, and formerly if Denmark, will be held 1 p.m. Monday, April 26, 1999, at Honey Ford Baptist Church in Denmark, with the Rev. C.F. Mitchell officiating.

Burial will be in the church cemetery. The casket will be placed in the church at noon. Mr. Hightower died Thursday. He was born Dec.

4, 1910, in Govan, a son of the late Glover and Hattie Nimmons Hightower. He was a graduate of Bettis Academy of Aiken. He was a member of Honey Ford Baptist Church and its Senior Choir. He lived in New York for more than 30 years and was a trustee at St. Stephens Baptist Church and Second Providence Baptist Church in New York.

He was owner-operator of F.H. Moving and Hauling Company and co-proprietor of Lue's Fashion Coroner in Corona, N.Y. He was married to the late Rosa Brabham and the late Lucia Johns Tye. Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Carrie Sojourner-Sim-mons and Mrs.

Lue H. Tyler both of Denmark; a sister, Mrs. Gertrude Johnson of New York; nine grandchildren and 11 greatgrandchildren. Visitation will be Sunday from 6 to 7 p.m. at Carroll Mortuary in Bamberg, and Monday in the church fellowship hall' after the burial.

Friends may call the home of Mrs. Carrie Sojourner-Simmons of Mill Pond Road, Denmark; at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Harvester and Lusher Tyler, 1209 South Palmetto Denmark; and at the funeral home. Randolph Keitt Sr.

The funeral for Randolph Keitt Sr. 80, of 483 Frederick Orangeburg, will be held at 3:30 p.m. Monday, April 26, 1999, at Andrew Chapel Baptist Church in the Four Holes community of Orangeburg, with the Rev. Donald E. Greene Jr.

officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Mr. Keitt died Wednesday. He was born April 15, 1919, in Orangeburg, a son of the late Frank Luke Keitt and Sophia Keitt He joined Andrew Chapel Baptist Church at an early age.

He received his formal education in the public schools of Orangeburg County. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Pernice H. Keitt of the home; two daughters, Ms. Carolyn Keitt and Mrs.

Willie (Linda) Price; two sons, Frank Lee Keitt and Samuel John Keitt; 16 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren. Friends may call at the residence and at Bethea's Funeral Home in Orangeburg. James Allen Keller The funeral for James Allen Keller, 57, of 136 Dixon Orangeburg, will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, April 26, 1999, at Felderville AME Church in Santee, with the Rev. Johnny Byrd officiating.

Burial will be in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be James Johnson, John Adams, David Adams, James Adams, Marion Adams Jr. and Morris Goodwin. Mr. Keller died Thursday.

He was born Jan. 27, 1942, in Calhoun County, a son of the late Franklin Keller and Mrs. Bernise Snider Keller. He was education in the Calhoun County public schools. Survivors include his wife, Mrs.

Florine Keller of Orangeburg; a son, James Lewis Keller of New York; a stepdaughter, Linda Adams of Orangeburg; a special friend, Rose Franklin of Orangeburg; four half-sisters and seven half-brothers. Friends may call the residence and at the residence of Florine Keller, 1700 Old Elloree Road, Orangeburg. Williams Funeral Home of Elloree is in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Vernell Shaperson Mrs.

Vernell Shaperson, 82, of 2262 Washington Cordova, died Saturday, April 24, 1999, at MUSC Medical Center in Charleston after a brief illness. Funeral plans will be announced by Glover's Funeral Home in Orangeburg. Friends may call at the residence and the funeral home. Mrs. Evelyn Jenkins Whitmore Mrs.

Evelyn Jenkins Whitmore, 72, of 710 Calhoun Bamberg, died Saturday, April 24, 1999, at the residence after an extended illness. Funeral plans will be announced by Johnson-Dash Funeral Home of Bamberg. Friends may call at the residence and at the funeral home. Willie 'Buddy' LWideman The funeral for Willie "Buddy" L. Wideman, 83, of 4687 Charleston Highway, Rowesville, will be held at 2 p.m.

Monday, April 26, 1999, at Forest Chapel United Methodist Church in Rowesville, with the Rev. Joseph Abram officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The casket will be placed in the church at 1 p.m. Pallbearers will be nephews.

Mr. Wideman died Wednesday. He was born Nov. 10, 1915, in Abbeville County, a son of the late George Wideman Sr. and Zula Hartfield Wideman.

He attended Forest Chapel and Bethune Memorial High schools. At an early age he joined Forest Chapel United Methodist Church, where he served as trustee, church secretary, church treasurer, leader, NAACP representative and prayer warrior. He served as a staff sergeant during World War II. He was a longtime entrepreneur farmer. Survivors include his wife, Mrs.

Ona Mae Wideman of the home; two sons, Gregory Wide-man of Chicago and Willie Sampson of the home; a daughter, Mrs. Nelson (Hope) Webster of Edgewood, and a brother, George Wideman Jr. of Bowman. Friends may call at the residence and at Glover's Funeral Home in Orangeburg. Mrs.

Lucinda Washington Williams The funeral for Mrs. Lucinda Washington Williams, 82, of 7170 North Road, North, will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, April 26, 1999, at St. Mark United Methodist Church in North, with the Rev. Thomas J.

Pearson Jr. officiating. Burial will be in Canaan-St. Mark United Methodist Church Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Lendo Brown, Darel Wise Vincent Amaker, Barry Amaker, Derrick Amaker and Kelvin Amaker.

Mrs. Williams died Thursday. She was born July 15, 1916, in Orangeburg County, a daughter of the late Charley Washington and Mrs. Lucinda Mitchell Washington. At an early age, she joined Canaan United Methodist Church, which is now St.

Mark United Methodist Church. She was a member of the Investigation looks at hazardous waste disposal company wells on the property show unsafe levels of solvents that also have shown up in private wells. in the area. Carolina Steel and Wire is one of five companies questioned by investigators about hazardous waste, dumping. DHEC has warned up to, 200 families in the immediate area not to drink from wells because of the solvent pollution.

The search warrant says evidence from the site could show whether violations of at least four criminal pollution laws occurred at Carolina Steel and Wire. COLUMBIA (AP) A criminal investigation of Carolina Steel and Wire focuses on whether the company intentionally dumped hazardous wastes into trash cans at the site or buried acids near the firm's property line in Red Bank. Two former employees told investigators that from the 1970s to the 1990s they were told to dump toxic wastes at the Lexington County wire plant, according to a search warrant released Friday by the Department of Health and Environmental Control. Agency investigators have con fiscated more than four dozen sets of records from the plant and have taken about 30 soil samples for analysis, the April 6 search warrant says. The soil samples came from 14 days of digging next to the plant that ended Friday, agency spokesman Thorn Berry said.

Berry said no one has been arrested. He refused to discuss the matter further. DHEC has so far refused to discuss whether the investigation is linked to a trail of poisoned ground water near the plant off S.C. 6. But the search warrant says C-E school joins TV turnoff week CORDOVA, S.C.

Students at Carver-Edisto Middle School will join thousands of schools, libraries and community groups nationwide in a coordinated effort to encourage millons of families and individuals to turn off their TV sets through April 28. National TV-Turnoff Week focuses no on the quality of TV programming but on the excessive amount of time Americans spend watching television and the lost opportunities to read, converse, participate, think, cre ate and do. According to Nielsen Media Research, the average American watches almost four hours of TV a day. That amounts to two months of non-stop watching each year and nine years of continuous watching in a 65-year life. The event is coordinated by TV-Free America, a national nonprofit organization that encourages Americans to reduce the amount of television watched in order to promote richer and more connected lives, famines and communities.

(Related story, 9A) WW tMflili us In Loving Memory of Mrs. Daisy Jowers. Dickson Sunrise Sunset asked to explain Lake Murray level warnings COLUMBIA The Columbia-based utility that operates Lake Murray has been asked by a federal agency to ex- -plain how it warns boaters about under-water objects when water levels drop. South Carolina Electric Gas Co. operates a hydroelectric plant on the popular Midlands lake.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission asked the utility to explain its policy, after the agency received a complaint from a boater. Many lake users get upset at losing access when levels drop in the fall and winter, drying up shorelines. "It's the singular most emotional issue for the people who live on and use the lake," said Bob Keener, head of the Lake Murray-Shore Road Community Association. The utility intentionally lowers lake levels during some off-seasons to combat hydrilla or work on the shoreline, spokesman Brian Duncan said. "It's understandable, people want the levels up all the time because they want to boat all the time," Duncan said.

The lake doesn't operate that way. People have to remember it was built and is used as a hydroelectric facility" The company has a month to reply. Mayor Mark McBride said Thursday he wanted the National Guard to control lawless crowds at the bike festival because he doesn't think there will be enough officers. Gall is confident the more than 300 extra officers the city is bringing in will be enough to handle criminal activity and traffic tieups. Hodges has said in the past and said again Thursday he would not send In the Guard because it sends the wrong message.

Gubernatorial spokeswoman Nina Brook said earlier this week nothing different would be done for the Memorial Day festival than was done for the Hariey-Davidson festival earlier in May. The Memorial Day event is also known as "Black Biker Week," while the Hartey festival is predominantly white. Any presence of the National Guard Is uncalled for, said the Rev. H.H. Singleton, the head of the Conway branch of the NAACP.

"The governor, the NAACP and other rational-thinking citizens have already agreed that there is no credible evidence surrounding the black bikers and other Memorial Day celebrants that warrants the protection of the National Guard," he said. The mayor stands on a breaking limb alone with his insistency on bringing the National Guard In." Duncan says the utility is working on its response. South Carolina tops in nation in electronic filing COLUMBIA South Carolina taxpayers have been taking advantage of the conveniences of technology. More than half of the income tax returns processed this year were filed electronically, the Revenue Department reported. South Carolina remains the state with the highest percentage of taxpayers who file by nontraditional methods.

The department processed almost 1 .1 million tax returns this year and 52 percent of those were filed through the agency's alternative filing program. In South Carolina, electronically filed returns increased 14 percent this year from last year. Police chief says he's ready for Memorial Day crowd MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. Myrtle Beach Police Chief Warren Gall says his department is ready for the Memorial Day weekend and the bikers It will bring. "I feel comfortable given the numbers (of officers) confirmed and promised, that we'll be able to field a good force out there with high visibility," he said.

'April 25, 1992 June 5, 1906 You're always In our hearts and Good Samaritan Society of North. She was the widow of the late John Williams. Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Carolyn Williams Harrison of the home; three sisters, Mrs. Victoria Robinson and Mrs.

Mary Houston, both of North, and Mrs. Geni-vive Pearson of Tampa, and a brother, Clarence "Jef-froe" Mitchell of Landover, Md. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at W.B. Crumel Funeral Home of North.

Friends may call at the residence and at the funeral home. minds. Happy Birthday and Happy Mother's Day, May 9, 1999. "Walk around Heaven all day." Love, Your Children, Grands, sisters, Relatives and Friends In Loving Memory of uan Williams LaQ who departed this life one year ago April 43, two In Loving Memory of FT In Loving Memory of In Loving The Famtly of the late LaQuan M.Williams Memory of Janet Haigler In Loving Memory of Hermle "Sis" Sprinkle mho departed this life two yean ago, April 25, 1997 Kenneth Michael Roosevelt Gilmore who departed thit life one year ago today, April 25, 1998 The Lord hag promised good to me, His word my hope secures. He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures.

Owens would like to thank all of our relatives and friends for their expressions of love and concern shown to us during the illness and recent bereavement. We especially would like to thank the employees of The Regional Medical Center, HFM Center for Cancer Care and Palmeto Richland Memorial Hospital. May God forever bless each of Laquan M. Williams who departed this life one year ago, April 25, 1998 God took you home, it was His will but In our hearts we love you still. Your memory is as dear today as In the hour you passed away.

Though we miss you, we thank God for giving you peaceful rest. You've always tried to do your best, and then, when you could do no more, God welcomed you to Heaven's shore. Sadly missed by, Parents, Mltsle and Ernest, Sisters, Brothers and other Relatives Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, So sudden were you taken away, I didn't expect to lose you so soon. God was ready for you to come home, so He sent an angel to bring you home. I miss you, still love you, and with an aching heart, I said good-bye.

We will meet again beyond the beautiful blue skies. Sadly missed by, Charlen who departed this life April 25, 1998 So many of my thoughts are of you. Each night when the world is quiet and still, your smile and the wonderful moments we have shared crowd my mind. Then I find myself missing you even more. Love You, Mother, Brother, Children, frmcini, Aunti, Unclrt, Grandmother! and mortal life shall cease, I shall possess within the veil, a life of joy and peace.

The years we spent with you were worth a lifetime of happiness. Sadly missed by, son, daughttrin-law, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and you Sadly by Godfather, Herbert Haigler and Family and your Daughter, Syaita.