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| TODAY'S TOP NEWS from WPDE TV NewsChannel 15, Myrtle Beach - Florence |
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VICTIM OF 1988 DRUNK DRIVING CRASH SPEAKS TO WPDE
One of those victims was Paul Hinds. He told WPDE, "When I heard the name, I said that name sounded mighty familiar." And after hearing the name, Jake Davis Junior, a few more times, it finally sank in for Hinds. The name he was hearing belongs to the man convicted of hitting him and his wife in a drunk driving accident in 1988. Jake Davis Junior is now charged again with Felony DUI in that Marion County hayride crash, that killed four people. Hinds said, "It's a wonder that we weren't killed the night he hit us." Hinds said the accident happened along River Road, just outside of Pamplico in April of 1988. He and his wife were heading back home to Florence after a late night at work. Hines remembers the details of the accident like it happened yesterday. "Saw him run off road he run off the right side of road and I saw him overcorrect, and he jerked it and came straight at my wife. I saw him coming, and I told my wife - hold on he's coming right at us." Hines and his wife were badly hurt. Davis pled guilty to Felony DUI and ended up serving 18 months in jail. But he served his time only on the weekends. "He had to report to jail on Friday nights and go to work on Monday mornings." Over the past 30 years, Davis has been charged with DUI or Felony DUI four times. His license has been suspended twice, and he's been caught speeding four times. But because he was not under suspension, state law allowed him to renew his license. That's disturbing news to state representative Jim McGee. "After looking over this record and what our current law is, I don't think our current law is sufficient." Paul Hinds agrees that the laws need to be stronger, so that we're better protected from drunk drivers. Officials with the state chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving tell us they are planning to lobby lawmakers for tougher DUI laws.
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COMMERCIAL VEHICLE CRASHES ARE ON THE RISE
At the same time the number of officers enforcing truck safety laws stayed the same. State Transport Police say more than 3100
wrecks were reported last year. That's up from 2200 wreck in 2001. Officials say these crashes are more often the fault of the other car drivers and not the truckers. That was the case with this wreck in Horry County that happened on Highway 90 last May. State Transport Police estimate that other drivers are at fault in about 80% of these types of crashes.
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BODY OF CONWAY MAN FOUND IN WACCAMAW RIVER
The body of a Conway man, who emergency crews say drove his car into the Waccamaw River Thursday night, has been found.
Witnesses say they saw 38 year old Michael Sanders drive his car into the river Thursday afternoon. Emergency workers say Sanders got out of the car before it went under but then took off his shirt, and jumped back in. Horry County's dive team searched the river Thursday night and Friday morning. His body was found just after noon not far from where he went in. According to Todd Cartner with Horry County Fire Rescue, "We had divers in the water at the time and then also side scan sonar. They pretty much found the body at the same time." We talked with Sanders' family who told WPDE he was going through some tough times. Horry County Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard says an autopsy will be done Saturday morning.
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MORE ARRESTS IN HORRY COUNTY MURDER CASE
Four arrests have now been made in an Horry County murder case.
On October 21st, 24-year-old Miles Thomas Slay was found dead in a car, off Enterprise Road in Socastee. Initially police arrested Corey Smalls and his cousin, Antonio Smalls. Friday Police say Tyrone Beaty and Neil Hill turned themselves in. All four men are charged with murder and armed robbery. Police have not released a motive.
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POLICE INVESTIGATING BURGLARY IN DARLINGTON COUNTY
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a burglary in Darlington County.
Authorities say it happened at a home on Winding Ridge Road near Hartsville. Police say when the 63-year-old woman realized that her home had been broken into, she went to a neighbors house for help. Authorities say the woman began having breathing problems and died. An autopsy has revealed she died of a heart attack. Meanwhile police say they are stepping up patrols in that area.
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MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND RESIDENTS GET FLU SHOTS AT COASTAL GRAND MALL
They're in high demand, cost less than $25.00 and will leave quite a knot in your arm. We're talking about flu shots, and Friday more than a thousand people turned out to get theirs on the Grand Strand.
A few tempers flared Friday morning as hundreds of people waited in line at the Coastal Grand Mall in Myrtle Beach to get a flu shot. Joan Carroza with Grand Strand Regional Medical Center says unpredictability is causing some of the hysteria. She says the long lines are evidence that people are afraid they won't get a flu-shot. Carroza said they've ordered 9,000 doses of vaccine this season but they're having to wait on shipments. "This year we're getting a couple hundred one day, a couple hundred the next week so we don't ever know. We delayed this flu clinic until we had at least 15-hundred doses." And in some cases the hospitals are the only agencies with the vaccine. Carroza told WPDE, "The only complaints I've heard is they are so limited in the community. A lot of them are used to getting them at their doctor's offices, and the doctors have not received any flu shots yet." Those factors are contributing to the long lines people waited in Friday. Early on, people waited over an hour, but by the end of the clinic the wait was down to 20 minutes. Ken Anderson, who got a flu shot, says, "I think it's going a lot faster than I thought it was going to." In all 1500 people got flu shots in less than three-hours. There are more clinics coming throughout the season.
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CCU TO OFFER MBA
It's not just for four year degrees anymore.
Beginning next fall Coastal Carolina University will offer a Masters Degree program in Business Administration. School officials say the degree was developed as a response to increased demand from students and business leaders in the area. Right now students can only pursue a Masters in Business Administration through distance learning programs set up at University of South Carolina and Winthrop.
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GENDER BASED CLASSROOMS
One Florence County school wants to focus the minds of their students on books and learning, instead of the opposite sex. And in the process, educators are trying to tap into the unique differences between boys and girls.
There's a classroom at Ronald E. McNair Middle School in Lake City with all elements of a learning environment.... students, books... a teacher. But something's missing. Namely, Y chromosomes... or boys. Beth Wright is the school superintendent. "And so trying to separate children by the way they learn, is one of the strategies that we're using at Ron McNair." Yep, that's right, two weeks ago school officials separated 6th grade boys and girls. The superintendent for the district says the decision was made as a way to improve test scores, because research shows that male and female brains work and develop differently. In particular, she says, females like to collaborate with each other. "And so that's really good for project- based learning. They're very good at getting together, building projects and talking to develop relationships. Where young men tend to be very competitive, and so if you can design your instruction around those types of things in your classroom, then you may get more out of them academically." That's something sixth grader Ashley Nebitt agrees with. She says since the boys moved, her class learns more. "'Cause the girls are more behaved than the boys." But Wright is quick to assure, there is no difference in curriculum. "No there's absolutely not, the classes are not different at all. boys get the exact same teacher that girls do. so there's not gender in-equity." Carlene Lowder is a 6th grade math teacher. "But I would have to say they're both a little more at ease, and I think it's good for their self-confidence."
So far Wright says she's had only one complaint. That came from a parent concerned that her daughter wouldn't be able to see her boyfriend. It's perhaps the biggest complaint among the boys too. Kiere Graham is a 6th grader. "It's alright with the girls gone, but sometimes, like most of the boys might miss their girlfriends too sometimes." Right now math, science, social studies, and English classes are separated and students eat with their class at lunch. School officials say there's still plenty of time for students to develop social relationships. Patrick Pinckney is a counselor at the school. "Some have felt that this is perhaps the worst that they've ever seen with kids being more sexually oriented at this age than ever before, and so I think making this separation in their core classes and their major classes will, probably, I think it's a benefit, and not a hinderance." For now, sixth graders at Ron McNair will have differentiated instruction on a trial basis. School officials say their first big review of the program will be at the end of November. The superintendent says this is not the first time this technique has been used in Lake City. The second grade at Scranton Elementary in Florence County is in it's second year of separating boys and girls.
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