Tuesday, Nov. 03, 2009

Turtles to fly south for the winter

CHARLESTON - 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 S.C. Aquarium said Monday the arrival of the loggerhead sea turtle and two Kemp's Ridley has been postponed because of 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 S.C. 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.

Marine base honored for energy, water cuts

PARRIS ISLAND - Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island was honored for being one of six bases that helped the Navy save 2 billion gallons of water and $31 million in utility costs this year through energy efficiency and water management.

Col. Rickey Grabowksi, Parris Island's chief of staff, traveled to Washington last week to accept the Secretary of the Navy's Energy and Water Management Award on behalf of the base.

Parris Island received the award after the base reduced its overall energy use by 14 percent since 2003 and its water use by 15 percent since 2007, according to Naval Facilities Engineering Command. The depot also gave out 212 compact fluorescent, energy-efficient light bulbs this year as part of "Operation Change-Out," a Defense Department initiative aimed at increasing energy efficiency in base housing.

In addition to being recognized as a leader in the Navy's push to become more energy-efficient, the depot is also authorized to fly a special Secretary of the Navy energy flag for a year.

Clyburn to speak at Urban League dinner

The Columbia Urban League's 42nd Equal Opportunity Day Dinner is set for Thursday at Seawell's in Columbia.

Majority Whip and U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., will deliver the keynote address on race relations in the state. He and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham will receive the Urban League's prestigious Whitney M. Young Award for advancing race relations in South Carolina and their efforts to promote civility and equal opportunity.

Among other honorees at Thursday's event are James Solomon, local consultant and former director of the state Department of Social Services; Bambi Gaddist, executive director of the South Carolina HIV/AIDS Council; Time Warner Cable; William Horton, former president and chief operating officer, government division of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina; and Janice Marshall, director of the James E. Clyburn Scholarship and Research Foundation.

The reception will begin at 6 p.m. and the program follows at 7.

Get The State newspaper delivered to your home. Click here to subscribe.