Newspaper Page Text
Savannah River
over radiation
charges exaggerated
Page 1
VoL 9 No. 21
W oman fired by
solicitor says race
may be involved
By Fannie Flono
Jean Scott Neal, fired two
weeks ago from her job in the
State Court Solicitor’s office,
said Monday she was fired
unfairly and the incident may
have been racially motivated.
Mrs. Neal has filed a
complaint with the
Augusta-Richmond County
Human Relations Commission.
The county employee said
she was told she was dismissed
for “precipitating help” for a
defendant in a court case.
But she said she has since
read in one newspaper that she
was fired for disposing of
pending criminal court cases.
“I don’t know (if it’s racially
motivated),” she said.
“He’s (Solicitor Sam B.
Sibley Jr.) talking out of both
sides of his mouth,” she added.
“Initiating help (for a
defendant) is no reason to fire
someone,” Mrs. Neal said.
The incident involved a
defendant who last month
could not appear in court on a
bad check charge, but who told
Mrs. Neal he could make
restitution in twice monthly
payments.
Mrs. Neal discussed the case
with the judge presiding over
MISS SOUTH CAROLINA STATE COLLEGE Miss Mary EDen Garrett
of North Augusta, was crowned Miss South Carolina State College 1979-80 by
former queen (to her right) Bessie Stephens as the college vice president for
academic affairs, Dr. A.S. Belcher looks on. At left is second attendant Beverly
Gaymon of Manning and Dianne Denise Cunningham, first attendant of Laurens,
S.C. In front of the Royal Throne is the Royal Crown and Scepter Bearer, Ervin C.
Johnson II and the Flower Giri, Nia Rose.
North Augusta beauty is
Miss South Carolina State
Orangeburg, S.C. - Mary
Ellen Garrett of North Augusta
was crowned Miss South
Carolina State College 1979-80
by the outgoing queen, Bessie
Stephens of St. George. The
coronation held in the
Smith-Hammond-Middleton
Memorial Center on the
campus, was followed by a
reception and Coronation Ball.
Augusta Nm&wujrui
state court that week and the
judge said the payment
schedule would suffice.
The defendant was
subsequently given a
probationary sentence and put
on a payment schedule to
repay the debt.
Sibley said Mrs. Neal’s
actions violated verbal rules he
had established.
Mrs. Neal contends the firing
was unfair and said she may
seek legal action against Sibley.
She said she had not had
problems with Sibley
previously, and had not been
placed on probation as has
been reported.
“He (Sibley) is a liar. I was
not on probation.”
Sibley reportedly said Mrs.
Neal was placed on probation
for falling behind in handling
cases and for having a poor
attitude.
The state court solicitor said
Mrs. Sibley’s firing was not
racial.
“It had nothing at all to do
with the color of her skin/’ he
said.
Sibley said new guidelines
had been established in his
office and “Mrs. Neal knew
about those rules.”
The new queen won several
trophies in track last year and
was a member of the record
breaking one-mile relay South
Carolina State College Track
Club at the Johnson C. Smith
Relays in Charlotte, N.C. She
plans to keep in condition this
semester and to compete next
semester.
Governor appoints
Joseph Greene
to Health Board
Page 1
P.O. Box 953
“These are not rules that are
unsual. Most offices have these
rules. We’ve always had a job
description (for a clerk). As far
as I know that (what Mrs. Neal
did) was not a part of the job
description,” he said.
Sibley said the rules were
established for a reason, to try
to insure that justice is
dispensed equally. I’m not
trying to be hard. I’m trying to
run a good office, to treat
everybody the same.”
Sibley said Judge Eugene
Kerr’s comments that there is
nothing unusual about clerks
handling cases that Mrs. Neal
handled is “his opinion.”
“He has no more to do with
this office than I do with
domestic relations court.”
Kerr was formerly judge of
state court.
Sibley said an attempt is
being made to make the firing
into “somethinh very vicious.”
“I am not a racist.”
Sibley said he has a black
person as his administrative
assistant and the woman
replacing Mrs. Neal is black.
But Mrs. Neal said the hiring
of another black to replace her
is an orchestrated attempt to
prove racism is not involved.
Miss Garrett, "Mooney” as
she is known on the campus, is
a senior majoring in general
business administration and
minoring in accounting. She is
a member of the NAACP and
the Sojourner Truth Hall Club.
She is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Izeal Garrett of North
Augusta.
October 13, 1979
BA.
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MONEY FOR THE CHURCH-News-Review Editor-Publisher
Mallory K. Millender (Right) presents check for $236.18 to Greater
Mt. Canaan Baptist Church as first prize in the newspaper’s recent
Church-Ministers Contest. The Rev. Willie Rivers, (center)
subscription coordinator and Son of the House at the church, accepts
the check as Pastor Nathaniel Irvin looks on.
Rev. Nathaniel Irvin:
‘Unless man knows God, he begins
at no beginning and works to no end 11
By Fannie Flono
“What we acquire means
little. Everything else equals
zero. Unless a man knows God,
he begins at no beginning and
works to no end,” he said
paraphrasing another author.
“God will instruct him how
to live with his fellowman.”
Seeking the kingdom of God
and becoming “richer in the
spiritual realm” seems to have
always been part of the Rev.
Nathaniel Irvin’s life.
But it wasn’t until he had
been in college four years and
was firmly pursuing graduate
studies, that the pastor of the
Greater Mt. Canaan Baptist
Church realized he was
“called” into the ministry.
It doesn’t seem to have been
a calling he has neglected
during his 20 years as pastor of
Plant says
SRP radiation exaggerated
Savannah River Plant
employees are in danger of
being exposed to unacceptable
levels of radiation unless some
parts of the plant are upgraded,
according to a report of a
meeting held last March.
So far no improvements
have been made. Long range
plans for improving the plant
are not expected to get
underway until fiscal 1981, Dr.
Charles Gilbert, acting director
of the Department of Energy’s
office of Nuclear Materials
Production.
Gilbert made the initial
warning of possible radiation
danger at a Senate Armed
Services meeting earlier this
year.
He said absolete facilities
should be replaced for the
protection of the workers and
the environment.
The existing facility only
marginally meets current
standards for containing
radioactive material and
minimizing radiation exposure
to personnel, he said.
RESPONSE
AIKEN, S.C.-Recent articles
in the media relating to
testimony given by a
Department of Energy (DOE)
North Augustan
is South Carolina
State College Queen
Page 1
Great Mt. Canaan.
As pastor of the Wheeler
Road church, Irvin has seen the
membership swell to more than
400 members.
He calls his pastorage at
Great Mt. Canaan a “real joy.”
“The members have been
very kind,” he said.
It has been the faith and
determination of that
membership that have made
for a good church there, he
said.
“We have a real good group
of people,” Irvin said.
“Everybody works together.”
Irvin came to Greater Mt.
Canaan in 1959 after he had
begun studies for his masters
degree.
The years before that were
hectic ones, Irvin remembers.
The North Augusta native
had attended Lucy Laney High
official have exaggerated
reports of excessive radiation
dangers at the Savannah River
Plant, according to a DOE
spokesman.
“From the standpoint of
plant operations, safety comes
first. There is absolutely no
question that if the continued
operation of a facility poses a
Gov, appoints Joseph Greene
to State Health Planning Board
THOMSON, GA.-Joseph
Greene has been appointed by
Gov. George Busbee to serve
on the State Health Planning
Review Board.
The Board has one member
from each Congressional
district and Greene will
represent the tenth
Congressional district on the
Board. According to the
authority under the Governor’s
Executive Order signed
September 14., the board will
Lem than 75% Advertising
I /b
IT W IWB
II 7
SUIT FOR THE MINISTER- Booker T. Mears (Right) owner of
Hi-View Cleaners, presents Greater Mt. Canaan Pastor Nathaniel Irvin
(Left) with a gray tweed suit valued at $150.00, a shirt, and
matching tie and hankerchief. Mears donated the suit to him tor
placing first in the subscription contest.
School when it was known as
Haines Institute and went on
to serve in the Armed Forces.
After that, he went to South
Carolina State College on the
GI Bill.
He had gotten married and it
wasn’t long before he and his
wife began a family. In fact, all
three of their children were
born while Irvin was in college.
(Those children are all grown
now and are pursuing careers in
music, medicine and law.)
For Irvin, that meant full
work days as well as classes to
meet the demands of family
and school.
He would leave home early
in the morning and return
home at night following class
and studying.
“When you’re young, you
can do a lot more,” he says
safety problem, the facility will
cease operations until
corrective measures can be
taken,” said David M. Peek,
assistant to the manager for
public affairs at the Savannah
River Operations Office.
The report also stated that a
plan for reduced operation of
the plant’s three reactors and
Joseph D. Greene
present
‘Wizard of Oz’
Paget
now.
While working on his
masters degree, Irvin realized
he wanted to go into the
ministry.
Greater Mt. Canaan has been
the only church he has
pastored.
Until this summer, he also
spent part of his time in the
classroom.
He retired this year after 23
years, many of them spent at
Jefferson High School where
he was a teacher, counselor and
assistant principal.
Now that he is retired, Irvin
expects to have more time to
devote to his pastorage.
He has already planned
counseling sessions to be
available to the membership.
“I want to become more
involved with the members. I
related facilities were
imminent.
“It is unfortunate,” Peek
said, “that the testimony now
being quoted is six months old.
In the meantime Congress has
approved and the President has
signed funding at a level that
we can continue to run our
three operational reactors
conduct the health planning
activities of the state and
implement those parts of the
State Health Plan and the plans
of the health systems agencies
within Georgia which relate to
the government of the State. It
will prepare, review and revise
an annual preliminary State
Health Plan which shall be
based on the health systems
plans of the state health
agencies of Georgia and to
review on a periodic basis all
25*
plan to do some academic
counseling, parental counseling
and counseling of young
people.”
Much of the counseling will
be preventive, he said.
Irvin has seen many changes
at the 79-year-old church.
Remodeling of the church, a
new education building and
new windows have all been
part of the change.
Also, ten years ago the
church began broadcasting
Sunday meetings on a local
radio station.
Irvin’s philosophy of life is
simple and straighforward.
Though he’s dined with
governors and met nationally
known figures, “Life itself
consists of really serving
mankind and praising God,” he
said.
while at the same time initiate
needed maintenance projects.
The funds approved by
Congress indicate they and the
Administration want us to
continue our mission here at
the Savannah River Plant in the
safest and most efficient
manner possible.”
institutional health facility
services being offered in the
state of Georgia.
Greene, who is vice
president for Marketing of The
Pilgrim Health and Life
Insurance Co. and vice
chairman of the McDuffie
County Board of Education,
was appointed earlier by Gov.
Busbee to serve on a select
committee to study revision of
the education section of
Georgia’s State Constitution.