http://www.gtowntimes.com/ en-us http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/Bertha-Saturday BERTHA MOVING QUICKLY WESTWARD OVER THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC...AT 1100 AM AST...1500Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM BERTHA WASLOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 16.6 NORTH...LONGITUDE 37.3 WEST OR ABOUT 885MILES...1420 KM...WEST OF THE CAPE VERDE ISLANDS AND ABOUT 1705MILES...2740 KM...EAST OF THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.BERTHA IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 21 MPH...33 KM/HR...AND THISGENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OFDAYS.  BERTHA WILL BE ABOUT HALF WAY BETWEEN THE WEST COAST OFAFRICA AND THE LESSER ANTILLES BY TONIGHT OR EARLY SUNDAY.MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 50 MPH...85 KM/HR...WITH HIGHERGUSTS.   LITTLE CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS FORECAST TODAY...BUT GRADUALSTRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY.TROPICAL S ... 7/5/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/Bertha-Saturday http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/pawleys-parade2008-07-04T17-48-25 Pawleys Island Mayor Bill Otis said he has never seen as many spectators at the Island’s annual 4th of July Parade as he saw Saturday. Young and old alike seemed to enjoy the variety of homemade floats with a number of different messages.The float voted the “best overall” (pictured) by a group of judges was a parody of this year’s elections which included a very young Barack and Michelle Obama and others wearing large “I floated” emblems ( a takeoff of the “I voted” buttons.For other photos see the image gallery. ... 7/4/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/pawleys-parade2008-07-04T17-48-25 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/Pin-Oaks In March, Georgetown City Administrator Steve Thomas said a housing development planned for the Whites Bridge neighborhood did not need approval from the City Planning Commission or City Council.On Wednesday night, the City’s Board of Zoning Appeals said they disagree with Thomas.Thomas has said the Pin Oaks developer — Connelly Development of Columbia — was proposing to build townhouses on the property, not apartments. Up until March, the development had been referred to as apartments.The change in wording was significant because townhouses can be built without approval of the City Planning Commission or City Council. Apartments must be approved by both bodies.Lori Zito, who owns property next to the 5.5 acres where the 28 units are propos ... 7/3/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/Pin-Oaks http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/pi-heat- The Pawleys Island Heat has advanced to the semi-finals in the USBA National Championships. The Heat - who compete in the 16 and under age bracket - will play a semi-final contest today at 11:45 a.m. at Loris High. With a win, they would advance to the championship game, which will be held at 3:30 p.m. at North Myrtle Beach High School. Lakeitha Alston led the way on Tuesday, scoring 20 points in the Heat's 55-50 win over the Union County Extreme. Alexis Taylor poured in 20 points Wednesday as the Heat routed the Spindale Express 65-32. ... 7/3/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/pi-heat- http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/legion-wins By R.G. Greene rgreene@gtowntimes.com Chris Knight kept the Georgetown American Legion baseball alive in the fight for the League II championship on Tuesday. Knight belted a three-run homer in the fifth inning and added an RBI double in the seventh as Post 114 scored a 7-6 win over Conway at Waccamaw High School. "Chris carried us," Waccamaw coach Jeff Gregory said. "It was a big win. We had to have this game if we wanted to try and keep pace with Lake City." Georgetown (9-6, 5-4 League II) has three games remaining as the American Legion regular season enters its closing stage. Post 114 will play at home against Lake City on July 8 and at Lake City on July 10 before wrapping things up at Murrells Inlet on July 11. At press ... 7/3/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/legion-wins http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/jr-legion-briefs By R.G. Greene rgreene@gtowntimes.com Eric Sanders' two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning was the difference as the Waccamaw junior American Legion baseball team opened the playoffs with a 5-4 win against Marlboro County on Wednesday. Ahead 1-0 in the best-of-three set, Waccamaw was scheduled to continue the series on Thursday at Marlboro County. "You always want to win the first game," Waccamaw coach Jeff Gregory said. "We had a tough loss on Tuesday (a 9-5 setback against Conway in a tiebreaking game for the League II championship). But we put that behind us and did what we needed to do." James Pegram finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs for Waccamaw and Aaron Bishop was 2-for-2. Justin Rooney picked up the win ... 7/3/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/jr-legion-briefs http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/harborwalk-fishing- The 21st annual Harborwalk Bass and Redfish Tournament hosted by Sampit Bassmasters was held on Saturday, June 28, out of Georgetown's boulevard landing. The largemouth bass division fielded 70 fishermen, and the redfish division fielded 39 fishermen. Winners walked away with over $5,000 and trophies. The first place winners in the bass tournament were Mack Cook and Wade Harmon of Summerville. They caught five bass weighing 12.74 pounds on small crankbaits and artificial worms. Cook also caught the big fish of the day, a 6.33-pound largemouth. Second place was won by Winston Martin of Hemingway and Sky Patterson of Pleasant Hill with bass weighing 10.48 pounds. The redfish tournament was won by Jerimey Holland Sr. and Bob Matha ... 7/3/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/harborwalk-fishing- http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/funds-collected-dixie-debs-- Members of the Georgetown County Dixie Debs softball team, representing five area high schools, are seeking financial assistance for post season travel. The team is the two-time defending state champion and was last year's Dixie World Series winner. Members of the team are Cea Knox, Joanna Powell, Mary Ellen Morris, Ashley Czechner, Caroline Avant, Whitney Baxley, Jamie Johnson, Katie Lunsford, Megan West, Jennifer Coker, Megan Strickland and Taylor Poston. Donations should be made out to Georgetown County Dixie Debs/East Bay Booster Club. Coaches of the team are Pat Wildes, Nelson Brown and Brook Brown. 12-and Under stars The Georgetown All-Star 12 and Under girls are seeking financial assistance to travel to Sumter f ... 7/3/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/funds-collected-dixie-debs-- http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/Steel-mill-to-demolish-ore-tower- By Dedric Bonds dbonds@gtowntimes.com Within the next month, ArcelorMittal USA plans to demolish a tall tower used to process iron ore at its Georgetown plant, creating a space for a new office building within the plant's grounds. The changing exterior of the steel mill signals bigger, long-term changes within, company officials say. The Direct Reduction Iron (DRI) facility has not been used since 2003, according to ArcelorMittal Controller Legrand Forbes. In its heyday, the DRI facility processed 700,000 tons of iron ore pellets into 450,000 tons of material that was fed into the plant's furnace to make steel. The Georgetown plant stopped processing iron ore in 2003 when the price of ore and natural gas went "out of sight," a ... 7/3/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/Steel-mill-to-demolish-ore-tower- http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/Residents-win-first-Pin-Oaks-conflict By Scott Harper sharper@gtowntimes.com In March, Georgetown City Administrator Steve Thomas said a housing development planned for the Whites Bridge neighborhood did not need approval from the City Planning Commission or City Council. On Wednesday night, the City's Board of Zoning Appeals said they disagree with Thomas. Thomas has said the Pin Oaks developer -- Connelly Development of Columbia -- was proposing to build townhouses on the property, not apartments. Up until March, the development had been referred to as apartments. The change in wording was significant because townhouses can be built without approval of the City Planning Commission or City Council. Apartments must be approved by both bodies. Lori Zito, who owns ... 7/3/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/Residents-win-first-Pin-Oaks-conflict http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/Plug-in----the-hybrid-car-s-big-leap-forward By Jason Lesley jlelsey@gtowntimes.com Jim Poch turns the key of his hybrid Toyota Prius ... and there's silence. His modified, plug-in Prius can run about 30 miles on electricity. Poch represents the Plugin Hybrid Coalition of the Carolinas (www.plugincarolina.org) and he was in Georgetown on Wednesday with his hybrid that gets around 100 miles per gallon by using an electric battery to supplement a gasoline engine. "We plug in our cell phones and iPods, so why not our vehicles?" Poch asks. Poch, of Charleston, hopes to organize a caravan of plug-in SEE LEAP, Page 8A hybrid cars and school buses to travel across South Carolina, promoting battery technology. "This is the next generation of hybrids," he says. ... 7/3/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/Plug-in----the-hybrid-car-s-big-leap-forward http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/County-GOP-urges-city-to-drop-fine Tom Swatzel and Jack Scoville continued their long-standing disagreements this week, this time over fines levied against Front Street businesswoman Jeanette Ard. In a statement released Monday, June 30, Swatzel urged Georgetown City Council to drop the fine -- $1,087.50 per day -- that city officials levied against Ard more than a year ago. Swatzel is chairman of the Georgetown County Republican Party and is a former member of Georgetown County Council. He also called on members of the county Democratic Party to join with the GOP in persuading City Council -- six of seven members are Democrats -- to drop the fine. "Only Tom Swatzel would politicize a toilet," Scoville declared in a phone call to the Georgetown Times. Sco ... 7/3/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/County-GOP-urges-city-to-drop-fine http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/mitchum-suspended A Georgetown attorney has been suspended from practicing law for the next nine months as a result of a ruling by the South Carolina Supreme Court.Kenneth Mitchum, who has practiced law in Georgetown County since the 1970s, appealed a ruling by the Office of Disciplinary Counsel which placed the suspension on Mitchum after allegations made by a client were investigated. The high court filed its ruling June 30.According to the Supreme Court documents, Mitchum filed a lawsuit on behalf of a client — not named in the documents — but took no further action, which resulted in the dismissal of the suit. Mitchum failed to tell his client the case had been dismissed and failed to restore the case within the allotted time period.Mitchum also “falsely ... 7/3/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/mitchum-suspended http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/Obits-July-4 Kenneth Bader Kenneth Bader of Murrells Inlet died Sunday, June 29, 2008. Goldfinch Funeral Home, Beach Chapel, is in charge of the arrangements. Surviving are a son, Dennis Bader of Maryland; a daughter, Debra Busch of Garden City; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. Charles H. Cooper Charles Henry Cooper, 81, of Georgetown, widower of Gertrude McClary Cooper, died Tuesday, July 1, 2008, at his residence. Funeral services with military recognition were Thursday, July 3, 2008, at 5 p.m. at Screven Baptist Church in Georgetown. McKenzie Funeral Home, Georgetown Chapel, is in charge of arrangements. Mr. Cooper was born in Blakeley, S.C., a son of the late A.G. Cooper Sr. and Claudia Taylor Cooper of Sa ... 7/3/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/Obits-July-4 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/deputy-hurt-in-altercation A Georgetown County deputy was injured and transported to the hospital for treatment after attempting to break up an altercation between two brothers Thursday afternoon.At about 3 p.m., deputies were sent to Rose Hill Road because the two adult men were fighting.Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Neil Johnson said the men were still fighting after the officer got on the scene and a Taser had to be used in the attempt to separate them.It was during that time one of the deputies was injured. Johnson said he does not know exactly what happened to cause the injury or how bad the officer was hurt. He did say the injury is not life threatening.Johnson also said the name of the deputy and the two fighting men area not being released at this time. He ... 7/3/2008 http://www.gtowntimes.com/story/deputy-hurt-in-altercation