Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

The Carolinas | Weather delays three sea turtles' arrival

South Carolina

CHARLESTON

Weather delays three sea turtles' arrival

South Carolina and Georgia will have to wait a little longer to welcome three endangered sea turtles that were stunned in cold waters off the New England coast.

The South Carolina Aquarium said Monday the arrival of the loggerhead sea turtle and two Kemp's ridleys has been postponed due to poor weather conditions.

The turtles were scheduled to arrive Monday afternoon at the Mount Pleasant Regional Airport. There is no word on a new arrival date.

Officials said the loggerhead suffered shell damage and will stay at the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital until spring. The other two are recuperating from pneumonia and will call the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island home after a brief stay in South Carolina.

WILLIAMSTON

Boy's death possibly caused by pesticides

Authorities say pesticide foggers may have killed a 10-month-old South Carolina boy and injured his 2-year-old brother.

Multiple media outlets reported that Anderson County Deputy Coroner Don McCown said the boys' mother had been using foggers to get rid of an insect problem. He said investigators found seven fogger containers in the single-wide mobile home that are normally used to treat 6,000 square feet each.

Elizabeth Whitfield called 911 Sunday to report her youngest boy was having trouble breathing. Paramedics took all three to a local hospital, where Jacob Whitfield died. Kenneth Whitfield was flown to Greenville and remained in critical condition.

County fire officials say an unreported grease fire in the home did not appear connected to the baby's death.

AIKEN

Teacher charged with sexual conduct

Authorities have charged a former South Carolina middle school teacher with committing sex acts with a student, the second time in a month that a teacher at the school has faced sex charges.

Sgt. Dave Myers of the Aiken County Sheriff's Office said Monday that 28-year-old Joseph Magni Jr. has been charged with lewd act and criminal sexual conduct with a minor. It's unclear if he has an attorney.

Police said Magni engaged in sex acts with a 14-year-old female student at a movie theater and at his workplace between May and June.

Last month, 38-year-old Tammy Joy Key faced similar charges for alleged sex acts with a 14-year-old male student between August 2005 and March 2006. Both Magni and Key worked at Leavelle Middle School in Graniteville.

COLUMBIA

Officials search for missing prisoner

Authorities are searching for a 42-year-old inmate who walked away from a minimum security prison in South Carolina.

The state Department of Corrections said in a release that officials realized about 12:30 p.m. Monday that Vernon Edward Gardner was missing from the Coastal Pre-Release Center in Charleston.

He was last seen wearing a tan prison-issued jumpsuit.

Gardner began serving a 7 1/2 year prison sentence in August for violating the state's chop shop law.

ROCK HILL

Police investigate death of 17-year-old girl

Authorities say a body found in South Carolina has been identified as 17-year-old North Carolina girl.

The Herald of Rock Hill reported Monday that York County sheriff's deputies are investigating the death of Heather Marie Catterton of Gastonia, N.C. The cause of death has not been released.

Sheriff's Capt. Jerry Hoffman said the girl's body was found Thursday near Clover off a dirt road, between two large culvert pipes.

North Carolina

RALEIGH

State adds two more jackpots to lottery

North Carolina lottery players should soon get to take a chance on two more multimillion-dollar jackpots a week without having to drive to Georgia or Virginia.

The North Carolina Education Lottery Commission voted Monday to enter the Mega Millions multistate drawing as soon as the end of January. North Carolina already sells Powerball tickets.

A cross-selling agreement reached in principle last month between the two state associations behind Mega Millions and Powerball would bring more potential players for both games, and possibly faster-rising jackpots and more jackpot winners.

That would bring as much as $52 million more in North Carolina ticket sales annually, or up to $15 million for education initiatives the lottery supports, according to an analysis performed for the N.C. Education Lottery.

During the previous fiscal year, the North Carolina lottery said it generated $411 million for education based on ticket sales of almost $1.3 billion.

"We believe first and foremost that it will raise more money, for we will have four large jackpots to play for, and you can choose any one you want during the week," lottery executive director Tom Shaheen said in an interview before the commission voted 8-0 in favor of the agreement during a teleconference.

Powerball drawings are on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Mega Millions is played Tuesdays and Fridays.

Shaheen, who is also president of the board of directors of the Multi-State Lottery Association that runs Powerball, said he's hopeful ticket vendors can work out details so Mega Millions sales can begin Jan. 31.