STATE BRIEFS

Cemetery has

holiday sale

GREENWOOD — It’s that time of year for the annual holiday special at Greenwood Memorial Gardens & Mausoleum — half price on a cemetery plot and deals on vaults and markers.

For years, the cemetery has advertised the special on U.S. 25.

‘‘This is our way of trying to help families out during the holidays,’’ Manager Gary Blithe said. ‘‘A lot of our customers look forward to this time of year.’’

Blithe said he isn’t sure if anyone has actually given a spot in the cemetery or a grave marker as a Christmas gift, but business often increases once the sale starts. ‘‘Half off of a cemetery space is a good bargain,’’ Blithe said.

Reaction to the sign advertising the sale is mixed. Some think it’s a great idea, while others find it a bit odd,

Two killed

in house fire

BATH — Two women have died in an early morning fire that appears to be caused by an electrical short, authorities say.

Henrietta New, 72, and Ollie Owens, 95, both died from smoke inhalation, Aiken County Coroner Tim Carlton said.

Owens’ daughter, 71-yearold Jeanette Carmony was injured in the fire that started around 2 a.m. Thursday.

Carmony said she smelled smoke and saw sparks coming from the attic. She called 911, but firefighters couldn’t save the women as fire was already coming through the roof, a door and some windows, Bath Volunteer Fire Department Chief Sean Johnson said.

Deputies are investigating the fire, but Carlton said preliminary findings appear the blaze started from an electrical short in the attic.

Man shot

to death

INMAN — A Thanksgiving Day shootout has left one man dead and another injured, Spartanburg County deputies say.

The two men were arguing Thursday afternoon about a woman and it escalated into a gunfight, sheriff’s spokesman Maj. Dan Johnson said.

William Holmes, 28, of Newberry, was killed and the owner of the home, Shonta McDaniel, 31, was wounded, deputies said.

Investigators plan to talk to prosecutors before deciding whether any charges should be filed.

Woman contracts

West Nile virus

COLUMBIA — An elderly Charleston County woman has contracted the mosquitoborne West Nile virus and is in serious condition at a hospital, the state health department said Wednesday.

The unidentified woman developed West Nile encephalitis, a more severe illness that involves a brain infection, the Department of Health and Environmental Control said.

People over 50 are more at risk to develop West Nile encephalitis, which can cause serious complications and even death, said Dr. Lena Bretous, medical edpidemiologist with DHEC.

DHEC said South Carolinians should continue to protect themselves from mosquitoes even as temperatures drop.

South Carolina has had five confirmed human cases of West Nile this year and 14 since 1999. The first human case occurred in 2002 when a Union County woman became ill.

Also this year, 16 of 17 birds that tested positive for the virus were in the West Ashley area of Charleston County.

Some bell ringers

will get paid

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The Salvation Army is increasing its use of bell ringers this year to bring in more donations to the Red Kettle Campaign. Some chapters are even using ‘‘paid volunteers’’ to keep those bells ringing.

For example, eight locations have been added in Anderson for 22 total and three locations have been added for a total of eight in Pickens County.

The Salvation Army of Anderson County aims to bring in $80,000, about $10,000 more than last year, Capt. Roland Cox said. The Pickens County donation goal this year is $40,000, also about $10,000 more than was collected in 2004, Capt. Minnie Harrell said.

In Columbia, the goal is to collect $225,000 and make up for a 50 percent drop in kettle collections last year, when the Salvation Army stopped paying bell ringers.

(Associated Press)