P-15’s advance to 2nd round of playoffs without picking up a bat
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Police and emergency personnel stand near the remains of a fixed-wing aircraft that was engulfed in flames on Sunday in Soldotna, Alaska.
Alaska plane crash kills 10
TUESDAY, JULY 9, 2013 | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA
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Prison guard’s lawsuit dismissed Shooting victim not giving up on case against cellphone companies BY ROB COTTINGHAM rcottingham@theitem.com AND PRENTISS FINDLAY pfindlay@postandcourier.com Though his case against multiple cellphone companies was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie, Robert Johnson isn’t discouraged by the decision. “We’re looking for other options at the moment,” Johnson said. “We’re not done, yet. The
fight will continue.” Johnson said his lawyer is looking at an appeal, but would like to get more firepower before returning to the courtroom. According to the former Lee Correctional Institution captain, Currie said his lawsuit could not proceed as written because its premise was based on hearsay. “We were going after the SEE JOHNSON, PAGE A8
‘We knew it was a long shot coming in. I don’t feel defeated, though. There’s a lot of fight left. I didn’t fight through all this to stop now.’ Retired Capt. Robert Johnson
PATRIOTIC PET CONTEST
Tragedy claims members of 2 Upstate families
RIGHT: Michael McPherson, 4, and his pet guinea pig, Batman, compete in the Patrotic Pet Contest on Saturday at the Downtown Farmer’s Market.
BY ANDREW SHAIN AND ADAM BEAM Associated Press Writers
LEFT: Chloe McPherson, 7, and her hamster, Nina, compete in the contest on Saturday.
Two South Carolina families, hoping to spot a bear on a vacation in the Alaskan wilderness, were killed Sunday when their air taxi crashed. The dead included a family of five and a family of four, both from Greenville, according to family friends and law enforcement sources. Milton Antonakos, his wife, Kimberly, and their three children — 16-year-old Olivia, 14-year-old Mills and 12-year-old Anna — were on the plane, according to state Rep. Bruce Bannister, RGreenville, who was a neighbor of the Antonakos family. Chris McManus, his wife, Stacey, and their two children — Connor and Meghan — also were on the plane, according to their pastor, Upstate law enforcement officials and family friends. The pilot, Walter Rediske, from Nikiski, Alaska, also was killed in the crash, according to Alaska authorities, who have not released the identification of the other crash victims. Rediske was scheduled to take guests to a Lake Clark
BELOW LEFT: Nan Partridge, 8, and her dog Ronald Reagan won the Patrotic Pet Contest on Saturday. PHOTOS BY KEITH GEDAMKE / THE ITEM
SEE CRASH, PAGE A7
Manning gynecologist to close doors after 22 years BY SHARRON HALEY sharron@theitem-clarendonsun.com
SHARRON HALEY / THE ITEM
After 22 years in Clarendon County, Dr. Dorwin Moore is closing Santee Cooper OB/GYN on July 31. He’ll begin seeing patients on Aug. 1 in Orangeburg County. His decision to close his practice and go to work for someone was strictly a business decision.
MANNING — Dr. Dorwin Moore, a obstetrician in Manning for the past 22 years, is closing his practice, Santee Cooper OB/GYN Associates on July 31. “It’s strictly a business decision,” Moore said recently. “If you’re not making a profit, you close it. It’s a business deal.” Moore said the recent layoffs at Clarendon Health System didn’t play a role in his decision. However, other factors in the health care industry and the economy did play a role. “We are getting less reimbursements from the govern-
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ment,” Moore said. “We’ve seen a decrease in the number of patient visits and expenses have increased.” Moore said that in order for him to break even this year on just his malpractice insurance, he would need to perform 49 to 50 deliveries. “That’s with no money going toward paying the other bills that I have,” he added. Moore was candid about taking out loans to pay for malpractice insurance and a $100,000 hardware and software system that all physicians are required to have by 2014, which the government has promised to assist in funding. And government regulations and restrictions imposed
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in the ’70s and ’80s, Moore said, cut tremendously into how hospitals provide funding assistance to private providers. “Where at one time hospitals could step in and help a struggling physician, now the only way a hospital can help a private provider is through paying a portion of the provider’s malpractice premiums,” Moore said. “The hospital here has been gracious enough to help me by paying for one quarter of my premiums, but still I’m losing money this year.” Deciding to close his office at 1014 Professional Court wasn’t easy, he added. SEE MOORE, PAGE A7
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