The Times and Democrat from Orangeburg, South Carolina • 14

2b. THE TIMES AND DEMOCRAT, Orangeburg, S.C., Wednesday, March 19, 1986 Mrs. Essie Cummings The funeral for Mrs. Essie M. Cummings, 85, of 1569 Belleville Road, Orangeburg, will be held at 2 p.m.

Saturday in Greater Hurst Chapel AME Church Sarasota, Fla. Burial will be in Galilee Cemetery in Sarasota. Mrs. Cummings died Friday. She was born in Coffee County, a daughter of the late Julius and Maggie Emanuel Powe.

She was a member of Greater Hurst Chapel AME Church in Sarasota, where she served as chairwoman of Stewardess Board 3 and as a member of the Floral Club and Choir 1. Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Altamese Pough of Orangeburg; a son, George Bell Jr. of Sarasota; a sister, Mrs. Leana P.

Jones of St. Petersburg, a granddaughter, two grandsons and a number of great-grandchildren. Friends may call from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Simmons Funeral Home, and at the residence of her daughter, Mrs.

Altamese Pough, 1569 Belleville Road, Orangeburg. Stevens Funeral Home of Sarasota is in charge of Florida arrangements. Rylan A. Davis BRANCHVILLE, S.C. Rylan A.

Davis, 58, of Route 1, Box. 152BB, Branchville, died Monday at Orangeburg-Calhoun Regional Hospital in Orangeburg after a long illness. The funeral will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Mount Tabor Baptist Church in the Cattle Creek community, with the Rev. Bobby Etheredge, the Rev.

Steve Baughman and the Rev. Danny McLellan officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be Jimmy Metts, Harold Felder, David Shieder, Robert Thacker, Ronald Infinger and Al Bacon. Honorary pallbearers will be Senate panel OKs bill to cut medical suits By The Associated Press COLUMBIA The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved a medical malpractice bill meant to minimize the number of frivolous lawsuits.

The legislation that will go to the Senate requires a lawyer who wants to file a malpractice suit to obtain a certificate saying the suit has merit. "If you sue a neurosurgeon, before you can file, you have to have another neurosurgeon say it's a worthwhile said Sen. John Martin, D- Fairfield. "This tries to mimimize frivolous lawsuits." The bill sets the statute of limitations for injury to infants at 13 years. Martin said current law is 21 years.

The measure also limits punitive damages to the amount of actual damages awarded. And it prevents a plaintiff from asking for specific monetary damages, so jurors will not be influenced. "If you ask for $5 million, a jury might think, 'Ooh, this is serious if they want that Martin explained. Court summary Continued from Page 1B for him to get in touch with her. He said she fixed him something to eat then they went upstairs and prepared for bed but she didn't want to become intimate so he went back downstairs to get a drink of water.

She said she followed him down and saw him at the door of a utility room off the kitchen and that it 1 was blazing. She screamed at him, asking why he set the fire. There were conflicting stories and testimony but all agreed there was heavy smoke, she raced to try to get her sons out of the house, he went to get dressed and then went outside. There was testimony that he was seen near some curtains City Council gives OK to changes in insurance, retirement policy the deacons, former deacons and the Men's Bible Class of Mount Tabor Baptist Church. Mr.

Davis was born in Orangeburg County, a son of the late Arthur and Lue Ella Davis. He was a retired truck driver for B.P. Gas Co. of Denmark. He was a member of Willow Swamp Baptist Church in Norway.

Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Audrey Nettles Davis of Branchville; two brothers, Collis Davis of Bamberg and Sam Davis of Norway; three sisters, Lucy Bacon of Norway, Mozelle Bowen of Bamberg and Mattie Furtick of Springfield. Bryant Funeral Home of St. George is in charge of funeral arrangements. Randall Edwards CRESTON, S.C.

Randall Guy "Randy" Edwards, 23, of Creston, died Monday night at Richland Memorial Hospital in Columbia. The funeral will be held at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Cameron Baptist Church, with the Rev. Robert Taylor officiating. Burial will be in Cameron Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Hal Edwards, John Lyons, John Cuttino, Mark Black, Tim Carraway and Roy Smith. Mr. Edwards was the son of Dick and Joann Edwards. Survivors include his parents of Creston; two brothers, Ricky Edwards and David Edwards of Creston; two sisters, Mrs. Darler Vinzant of Charleston, W.Va., and Miss Robin Anne Edwards of Creston.

Fogle-Hungerpiller Funeral Home of Elloree is in charge of the arrangements. Hercules Rivers Sr. ST. MATTHEWS, S.C. Hercules Rivers 70, of Route 3, Box 1189, St.

Matthews, died Monday at Orangeburg-Calhoun Regional Hospital in Orangeburg. Health Compiled from wire reports officials say measles outbreak an epidemic South Carolina waived. Solomon said the department will submit a request to have the federal fines waived and, if turned down, appeal the decision. The process could go on several years before it is resolved, he said. PSC candidate exits race, blasts lawmakers COLUMBIA With the state Public Service Commission elections a day away, a Laurens County businessman has dropped out of the race in protest of what he calls "good old boy politics" in the selection process.

Donald R. Stewart said he was planning to run against Commissioner Cecil A. Bowers for the 5th Congressional District seat. But Monday he said, "My candidacy has been used to deceive the public's perception of the procedures, functions and processess of the merit selection panel and to legitimize the continuation of good old boy politics in the selection of Public Service PSC elections will be held Wednesday in the General Assembly. All seven incumbents are expected to win easily.

Study: S.C. mental health care lacking COLUMBIA South Carolina is among the nation's lowest ranking states in providing care for its seriously mentally ill citizens, but The funeral will be held at 3 p.m. Thursday at Providence AME Church in St. Matthews, with the Rev. Charles Henry Hand officiating.

Burial will be in the church cemetery. Pallbearers will be the grandsons. Mr. Rivers was born in Calhoun County, a son of the late Lucian and Julius Rivers. He was a member of Providence AME Church, where he was a member of the Steward Board, the Senior Choir and the Prayer Band.

Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Pernell H. Rivers of the home; four daughters, Mrs. Pernease Wilkie of Philadelphia, Mrs. Lucille R.

Odom of Orangeburg, Mrs. Margaret R. Hampton of Far Rockaway, N.Y., and Ms. Loretta Rivers of St. Matthews; six sons, Hercules Rivers Jr.

of Far Rockaway, John A. Rivers of Orangeburg, Clarence Rivers and Stanley Rivers, both of St. Matthews, SFC Morris Rivers of Fort Hauachuca, and Daniel Rivers of Columbia; five sisters, Mrs. Eardie Butler of Philadephia, Mrs. Hattie B.

Hobbs and Mrs. Ann Walker, both of New York, and Mrs. Brenda Fanning and Mrs. Chelock Mitchell, both of Cayce; three brothers, Allen Rivers of Philadelphia and Willie Rivers and Timothy Rivers, both of Cayce; 42 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Friends may call at the residence and at Jenkins Funeral Home in St.

Matthews. Bobby Whetstone Bobby Whetstone of 664 Amelia Orangeburg, died Monday at his residence. Funeral plans will be announced by Bythewood Funeral Home. He was a son of Allen Whetstone and Hannah Hubbard Whetstone. Friends may call at the residence.

The jury was sent out at 5:05 p.m. to begin deliberation. At 5:55 p.m., they returned with a verdict of not guilty. The other trial planned for Tuesday, that James Isaac Bolden 32, of 1550 Anna ended as a guilty plea. Bolden pleaded guilty to carrying a pistol.

A charge of pointing a firearm was dropped. His attorney, Public Defender Jay Jackson, said he wished to plead guilty and 1st Circuit Solicitor Joseph Mizzell agreed to accept the plea to the one charge. Sentence: one year. A jury was also drawn to hear the case of Arthur V. Rutland charged with second offense driving under the influence.

By TOM INMAN Staff Writer Orangeburg City Council approved Tuesday night an amended version of its personnel policy regarding health insurance and retirement. The policy has been under review for several months as council attempted to work out a compromise for retired and present employees. The resolution had four basic components and is as follows: All employees and retired employees of the city of Orangeburg as of Dec. 31, 1985, will continue to receive medical and hospitalization insurance for the individual employee. At the option of a retired employee, the city will continue to contribute the monetary amount it paid for dependent coverage for said employee as of Dec.

31, 1985, with the employee paying any additional increases in premiums or costs thereafter. Upon retirement, any employee of the city hired after Dec. 31, 1985, shall be provided medical and hospitalization insurance for the individual employee. At the option of the retired employee, the city will permit the retired employee to purchase dependent group coverage from its insurance carrier with the employee paying all costs and premiums thereafter. All present and future disabled employees of the city shall be provided medical and hospitalization insurance as permitted upon the city's insurance carrier's group policy in effect on the date of disability.

Those employees presently disabled and receiving unauthorized insurance coverage shall be given the opportunity to convert their insurance coverage in compliance with the city's present insurance carrier's policy. All present and future employees of the city and its Department of Public Utilities shall qualify for retirement, notwithstanding the provisions of the State Retirement Fund, at age 60 with 20 years of service or at age 65 with 15 years of service. In other business, council received an update on the proposed renovations to City Hall, which include handicapped access modifications. No date was announced for the beginning of renovations. City Administrator Hugh Smith said the access work would be done by city employees and he estimated costs at $2,800.

The modifications include designating parking spaces, installation of a buzzer on the side door and modifying restrooms on the first floor. In other matters: Council gave first reading approval to an ordinance authorizing the close of Edisto Memorial Gardens from sunset to sunrise. Any person caught in the park during these hours will first be asked to leave and repeat offenders will be subject to a maximum fine of $200. Council authorized Smith to apply for a $10,000 grant from the Justice Assistance Program of the governor's office. The money would be applied to the Crimestopper's program.

Lawmakers ask Ragin to stay on job treatment of him." COLUMBIA A group of House members Ragin said the main reasons for his resignation mounted an effort Tuesday to persuade State are personal, but he added that he has felt political Highway Commissioner Walker Ragin to rescind pressure from department commissioners and his decision to resign. members of the General Assembly. A proposed resolution signed by about 70 of the The State newspaper reported Tuesday that two 124 members of the House was being circulated in sources who asked not to be named said the comthe chamber and will be considered Wednesday. mission had tried to force Ragin to fire Col. Philip Rep.

Clyde Dangerfield, D-Charleston, asked the L. Meek, director of the highway patrol. chamber to consider the resolution immediately "I'm not denying it's an entirely exasperating Tuesday, but Rep. Tom Limehouse, R-Dorchester, job, but I liked the job very much," Ragin said refused to go along with the unanimous consent Monday. "It's an opportunity to accomplish very request.

much, and I feel in a short period of time I was able "I'm not going to ask him to stay on when he has to make a contribution." quit," said Limehouse. "That means he doesn't Ragin told highway commissioners Friday of his want the job." decision to leave on June 30 after less than two The proposed resolution says Ragin has re- years as head of the department. "It's a situation mained true to his concept of fairness and equity in where you have a lot of people pulling at you from spite of the pressure of his position "and the a lot of different By The Associated Press membership of the House cannot do less in its COLUMBIA An outbreak of red measles in the Midlands is being called an epidemic by health officials, who say they hope the disease won't spread to the rest of the state. Health officals fear two Irmo students who contracted the disease may have spread it when they attended a meeting this weekend in Hilton Head with 994 students from throughout the state. Lewis Anderson, director of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control's division of immunization and prevention, said he is hopeful the two students didn't contaminate any of the other students.

But it takes two weeks for the disease to become evident, and then officials will know the extent of the problem, he said. The highly contagious disease began in Lexington County when an Irmo student was infected in December by a visiting Canadian student. Anderson said DHEC is investigating 125 cases. Of those, 86 were reported in Lexington County. State fined for food stamp errors COLUMBIA South Carolina is being fined $3.1 million by the federal government for errors in dispensing food stamps in 1983 and 1984, said James Solomon, commissioner of the state Department of Social Services.

The federal sanctions, which had been anticipated, recently became official, but Solomon said the state will request those penalties be and that uney then blazed up, but this was refuted by Battiste and the defendant. Mrs. Ginyard said Mrs. Irick called her from a neighbors and told her that "Melvin set fire to my house" and that he had poured gas over everything. Mrs.

Irick denied saying this. Battiste questioned her about her statement given to authorities three days after the fire and she said she didn't remember what she said then, that she was still in shock. There were charges and countercharges regarding drugs, another man and more, but Circuit Judge Richard Fields allowed little of this to be admitted. the state is making steady progress, says a recently released study. Despite South Carolina's poor ranking, the 105-page study sponsored by the non-profit Public Citizen Health Research Group concluded that positive changes are occurring, and South Carolina is "making steady progress." "New leadership in the Department of Mental Health promises to improve services for the seriously mentally ill," according to the report, called "Care of the Seriously Mentally Ill, A Rating of State Programs," which was written by Dr.

E. Fuller Torrey and Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe. Navy project may alter way of manufacturing CHARLESTON A Navy contract to speed manufacturing of military parts will result in an innovative factory totally run by computer with widespread implications for the way Americans manufacture, the director of the South Carolina Research Authority said Tuesday.

U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond announced earlier that the Navy has authorized the Charleston Naval Shipyard to work with the research authority in developing a computer-integrated facility for making small military parts. Bob Henderson, the director of the research authority, said he knows of no other completely computerized manufacturing facilities in the nation. When the plant is operational, workers will be able to sit down at a computer, order a part and the part will then be manufactured, he said.

This will begin Wednesday morning. In other activity, Judge Fields heard a plea by David James, 35, of Springfield. James pleaded guilty to burglary second degree in pushing his way into his brother-in-law's home in an attempt to see his children. His estranged wife was living there with the six youngsters and he said he wanted to see them. Another charge of arson second degree was dropped by the state.

He was charged with trying to burn his own trailer but denied he was guilty of this, according to his attorney, Jackson. His wife was called up to the bench and they exchanged some Crash victims ID'd COLUMBIA The identities of two Navy instructors killed when their training plane crashed in Lexington County were released early Tuesday by a Navy spokeswoman. The men, killed Sunday were Marine Capt. Donald L. Bohorques, 29, of Hagerstown, Md.

and Marine Capt. Sherwood E. Collins, 29, of Unionville, Conn. Watson statements show differences CHARLESTON, S.C. Army Capt.

James M. Watson gave police differing statements about what he remembered the day his wife was shot to death in the shower of their James Island home, according to testimony in his murder trial. The 32-year-old ROTC training officer at The Citadel told police he went to work Sept. 25 but got sick and left for home about 9 a.m., Charleston County Detective Chevalier E. Harris said in General Sessions Court Tuesday.

Harris testified that Watson told authorities he spoke with his wife that day at home about buying a gun for protection because he had received threatening phone calls at work and at home. He showed his wife, Cynthia Watson, a automatic pistol he had borrowed from another captain at The Citadel and showed her safety features on that weapon, Harris testified. Watson said he then went to the store to get some medicine but forgot his checkbook and returned to the house. He saw shell casings on the floor and his wife lying in the shower and called 911, according to Harris. words and she told the judge he hadn't supported the children the last six months.

James said he was in jail for three months on the arson charge and couldn't make bond. When he came out, he said he looked for work, then was arrested on the burglary charge. He said he had a job to go to if he could get a probationary sentence. His wife was acrimonious in her comments to the court and said his drinking had been a source of problems. Jackson said James had said all along that all he wanted to do was to see his children.

Sentence: 5 years. Court reconvenes at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Highlights -Lexington County auhorities were investigating an early morning armed robbery Tuesday that left a convenience store clerk dead. Capt.

Bob Ford, a spokesman for the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, said 20-year-old Billy Earl Casey of Pelion was killed about 5:30 a.m. in the robbery at a convenience store on South Carolina Highway 6 near the Interstate 20 interchange. NORFOLK, Va. A Navy seaman from South Carolina, freed from eight months in custody after a military judge dismissed capital murder and robbery charges against him, will not be prosecuted in local courts, prosecutors said Tuesday. Navy Capt.

Daniel J. Ziemniak ruled Monday that a convicted co-defendant's statements impl. cating Thomas E. Hardnett Jr. of Mullins in the death of a fellow sailor were not admissable and that the Navy has no jurisdiction in the case.

FORT LAWN, S.C. The Chester County Sheriff's Department is continuing to investigate a schoolteacher, who is also a pastor at a Lancaster church, charged with four counts of committing a lewd act on a minor. James Leroy Dozier, 47, of Fort Lawn was arrested Saturday night after four of his female students, ages 8 and 10, 1 told their parents he had rubbed their buttocks and taken photographs of them in what Chester County Sheriff Bobby Orr called "sexually suggestive positions." re Pr Fri 4 IN MEMORIAM In loving memory of JESSIE J. COLLINS who departed this life four years ago today, March 19, 1982. Although you are gone, memories of you will always linger on.

Sadly missed by, Daughter, Rosalie Collins Jones; Granddaughters, Linda and Cynthia; Great-Granddaughters, Laytishia and IN MEMORIAM EUGENE McMICHAEL SR. who departed this life nine years ago today, March 19, 1977. Each and every day that goes by you are remembered in our hearts. You will never be forgotten by the ones who loved you. But God loved you best so he called you home to rest.

Sadly Missed By, Wife and Children.