State Briefs

Pair charged

in fatal burglary

CONWAY, S.C. (AP) — A man and woman from Conway were charged in connection with breaking into a home and beating a man to death, police said.

William Sofia, 28, was charged Friday with murder, assault and battery with intent to kill, grand larceny and first-degree burglary, after John D. Gee, 49, was found dead in his home.

Paula J. Plouffe, 24, was charged with accessory to murder.

Police said Gee appeared to have been severely beaten.

A woman who lived with Gee was treated and released at Conway Hospital for fractured ribs and facial injuries, police said. Her name has not been released.

Investigators believe robbery was the motive, Horry County Police Sgt. Andy Christenson said.

Forest Acres man

shot to death

COLUMBIA — A Forest Acres man has been found shot to death on the side of a road, the Richland County coroner’s office says.

Troy M. Brady, 38, was found at 12:30 a.m. Sunday with a gunshot wound to the chest, said Richland County Coroner Gary Watts.

Forest Acres police refused to release an incident report or provide information about the case.

Two killed

in accidents

FLORENCE — Two people have died after they were ejected from a pickup truck that rolled over several times in a Florence County wreck, troopers say.

Christopher Kennedy McClary, 22, and Karen Porter, 38, were killed early Saturday morning when McClary jerked the wheel after driving off the side of a rural road and his truck rolled over, authorities said.

McClary was speeding, said Sonny Collins of the state Highway Patrol.

USC trustee chair outlines goals

COLUMBIA — The new chairman of the University of South Carolina’s board of trustees hopes to find ways to lower the faculty-student ratio and attract more research dollars during his two-year term.

Herbert Adams, 62, of Laurens was elected chairman last month. He succeeds Greenville banker Mack Whittle.

Adams also said he wants to bring the university closer to winning an invitation to become a member of the American Association of Universities.

He supports a strategy calling for more rigorous admission and academic standards.

‘‘We still face the challenge of how to increase our standards and not run away from our responsibility of serving the people of this state. It’s an ongoing challenge,’’ Adams said.

Adams, a 20-year-member of the board, has a reputation for asking tough, uncomfortable questions, said former trustee Paul Goldsmith.

‘‘He didn’t mind if he had to be one vote against everybody else, one way or the other, if he thought something should be a certain way,’’ Goldsmith said.

Adams often found himself in the minority sometimes alone when trustees made decisions about raising tuition. ‘‘Any time we had a change, I was sensitive to it,’’ Adams said.

That’s because he put himself through USC, graduating in 1964 with a business degree. His part-time jobs included being a waiter, a hall counselor and a textile worker. He also delivered newspapers and worked the information desk at the Russell House.

During his junior year, Adams married his high school sweetheart, Gwen, and the oldest of three daughters was born before he graduated.

‘‘I know what it is like for a lot of students now because I’ve had similar experiences,’’ he said.

Adams considers his service on a committee that analyzed every university function as his most important work as a trustee.

The panel crafted a detailed road map that USC follows that emphasizes ways to accentuate its strengths and shore up its shortcomings.

‘‘It was the most meaningful experience I’ve ever had at the University of South Carolina,’’ Adams said. ‘‘We were there for the purpose of seeing what we could do to make the university more efficient. Dollars were being cut. We were there to set priorities,’’ he said.

(Associated Press)