Authorities seize mistreated animals on Laurens Co. farm
In the state's largest animal seizure to date, 400 neglected animals were taken Wednesday from a Laurens County property where investigators suspected a cockfighting operation. Horses, dogs and pigs were also found malnourished and without access to food or water.
Meanwhile, South Carolina health officials reported Wednesday there were 462 confirmed new cases of the coronavirus and 252 probable new cases. So far, 8,700 people in the state have died from the disease. There have also been only 543 breakthrough cases among vaccinated individuals.
Road tax misspending doesn't negate the good of program
"That’s all we ask of our government. You collect our taxes, so spend the money wisely and tell us where it went. We’re glad the parties here came to some agreement, and we hope that means the program will operate with as much transparency as possible from this day forward because by the time the tax expires in Richland County, it will have collected a maximum of $1.037 billion — and that’s a whole lot of pennies."
400 mistreated animals seized from Upstate farm
In the state's largest animal seizure to date, 400 neglected animals were taken from a Laurens County property where investigators suspected a cockfighting operation. Horses, dogs and pigs were also found malnourished and without access to food or water.
Five arrested in connection to animal cruelty case
Cockfighting alleged at property; among seized: 12 horses, 30 dogs, 8 rabbits
Charleston Animal Society deploys teams to assist in state's largest cruelty bust
Malnourished horses, pigs; dead chickens reported at Laurens County property
Hundreds of animals seized in Laurens County animal-cruelty case
Increase in robocalls in S.C. reported to FCC
The S.C. Department of Consumer Affairs submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission seeking a new rule targeting robocalls. If approved, the rule would shorten the time small service providers have to use tools to prevent spoofing and block robocalls.
VIRUS: 462 new cases, 4 dead, 8.8% positive
South Carolina health officials reported Wednesday there were 462 confirmed new cases of the coronavirus and 252 probable new cases. So far, 8,700 people in the state have died from the disease. There have also been only 543 breakthrough cases among vaccinated individuals.
Many go maskless at Myrtle Beach airport
MUSC children's hospital docs say ICU 'beyond full'
Misinformation could be hindering vaccination in S.C.
McMaster ignored DHEC requests not to lift mask mandates, records show
S.C. reports most confirmed coronavirus cases since April 30
As virus spikes, White House debates masking push
Unvaccinated nursing home staff scrutinized as deaths mount
U.S. virus cases nearly triple in two weeks
2020 OLYMPICS: Opening ceremony head sacked
The Toykyo Olympic organizing committee fired its director of opening ceremonies today on the eve of the pandemic-delayed Olympics. Kentaro Kobayashi was dismissed after a joke about the Holocaust he made in 1998 had resurfaced. Opening ceremonies for the Games is scheduled for Friday.
S.C. weightlifter is the youngest on U.S. Olympic team
Olympic coverage begins 6:55 a.m. July 23
How to watch the Games on TV and streaming
West's wildfire smoke comes to South Carolina
Areas north of Abbeville, Columbia and Myrtle Beach are experiencing lower visibility from potentially dangerous smoke caused by wildfires in the western United States and Canada. Health officials warned of problems for people with chronic heart and lung diseases and advised they stay inside.
Upstate haze traveled all the way from California
Western wildfires making it hard to breathe thousands of miles away
Columbia to be affected by western wildfire smoke
Unhealthy air from fires could lead to long-term health damage
S.C. lawmaker's wife nominated as ambassador to Slovenia
Jamie Harpootlian was nominated Wednesday by President Joe Biden to be the U.S. ambassador to Slovenia, the White House announced. Her nomination has to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Harpootlian is a Columbia attorney and is married to state Senator Dick Harpootlian, also a lawyer.
Biden picks Ted Kennedy's widow, longtime friend's wife for ambassadorships
Columbia attorney tapped for U.S. ambassador to Slovenia
S.C.'s federal lawmakers make earmark requests
South Carolina's infrastructure needs have been made as earmark budget requests by federal lawmakers.
S.C.'s Scott, Graham rail against Democrats' proposed budget
Orangeburg legislator to speak at Confederate flag film screening
Orangeburg Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter will be among the panelists discussing SCETV's new documentary "Downing of a Flag," which looks at the 2015 legislative decision that moved the Confederate flag from the Statehouse lawn. Other panelists include former Gov. Jim Hodges.
NATIONAL: Biden admin steps up community grants
President Joe Biden’s administration is beginning to make $3 billion in economic development grants available to communities — a tenfold increase in the program paid for by this year’s COVID-19 relief bill.
Political showdown looms over debt ceiling vote
Bipartisan House probe of Jan. 6 falls apart after Pelosi blocks 2 GOP members
Republicans block infrastructure bill but talks continue
Biden to meet next month with private sector on cyber hacks
Infrastructure bill fails 1st vote in Senate, another try coming
S.C.'s Norman among Republicans to pay $500 mask fine
The U.S. House Ethics Committee released statements Tuesday noting that U.S. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Ralph Norman of South Carolina had failed in their appeals of $500 fines that were issued in May. The appeals were filed in June, saying the congressional mask mandate was out of sync with federal guidance.
Rock Hill man files defamation suit against Norman over Facebook post
Coastal Community Foundation offers grants for Black-led nonprofits
Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina, a nonprofit that provides targeted funding to local groups, awarded $685,000 to 37 Black-led or Black-serving nonprofits in the Charleston area through a Facebook-funded grant aimed at bolstering Black communities.
Bitcoin flails in first inflation test
Cryptocurrency Bitcoin has lost about half of its value since mid-April as inflation rises.
Rising rents could prop up inflation as pandemic limits end
Lowcountry natives team up for Comedy Central show
Charlamagne tha God, the influential and controversial New York radio host from Moncks Corner, is getting his own Comedy Central late-night show. And it will be produced by another Charleston-native national media figure: Stephen Colbert. Tha God’s Honest Truth with Lenard ‘Charlamagne’ McKelvey will debut at 10 p.m. Sept. 17 on Comedy Central.
Stephen Colbert producing new show with fellow Lowcountry native
Charlamagne Tha God launches late night TV talk show
Dominion gets OK to hike rates starting Sept. 1
The typical South Carolina Dominion customer will see their bill rise about $1.81 per month.
Charleston tennis tournament gets new sponsor
Move over Volvo Car Open: Credit One Bank will be taking the title sponsor spot of Charleston's clay-court women's tennis tournament. The sponsorship includes the renaming of its newly renovated stadium. Volvo Cars USA will continue to play a sponsorship role.
Credit One is new title sponsor of Charleston tennis tournament
Charleston native promoted to editor at Houston Chronicle
Charleston native Maria Douglas has become the Houston Chronicle's editor, becoming the first person of color in that position for the 120-year-old newspaper. Previously, Reeve served as the publication's managing editor for nearly two years.
Dallas Morning News promotes former Greenville News editor to top role
First Lady Jill Biden makes virtual appearance at S.C. school
Dr. Jill Biden made a virtual appearance at North Augusta High School on Wednesday afternoon.
Charleston accepting school supply donations through Aug. 3
The City of Charleston’s annual school supply drive is offering drop-off locations in West Ashley, James Island, North Charleston, Daniel Island and downtown.
Bob Jones University joins private college group
Bob Jones University, a private Christian college in the Upstate, has joined the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities organization that advocates for private institutions.
Charleston schools start cultural competency team
Charleston County School District has created a cultural competency team that will look at improving teacher diversity and cultural understanding in the schools as Black and Hispanic students continue to perform worse than their White classmates
John de la Howe offers agriculture summer camp
This week, John de la House hosts Aggie Adventure camp to give students a glimpse at life in agriculture.
It's the first day of school for Greenwood students
Thursday marks the first day of school for students in Greenwood County School Districts 50, 51 and 52, as well as students in the McCormick County School District.
Expanding enrollment at Lander allows for offering changes
Lander University has seen an increase to student enrollment -- among the highest percent increase than any other public university in the state. And that means the university is looking at degrees it offers and its buildings.
52 tons of trash removed from Myrtle Beach shores after July 4
Beach goers in Myrtle Beach left behind 52 tons of trash following the July 4 weekend, according to Myrtle Beach officials.
Charleston tests for arsenic along proposed path
The city of Charleston is using a contractor to do more extensive testing for arsenic along the future path of Lowcountry Lowline.
22-year-old Blue Ridge Fest ends for good
After missing two years due to the pandemic, Blue Ridge Fest will not come back to Pickens, according to organizers.
Darlington hires John Payne as city manager
The Darlington City Council voted 5-2 Tuesday to hire John Payne, a Darlington native who works as an Edward Jones financial adviser in Sumter, to be the city’s next manager.
Charleston comprehensive plan gets initial OK
The Charleston City Plan, a new 10-year comprehensive plan for Charleston that has been drafted with sweeping zoning changes passed its first reading at Tuesday’s City Council meeting after an hourlong period of comments from the public and council members.
West Columbia top cop resigns after 24 years at post
West Columbia Police Chief Dennis Tyndall is retiring after 24 years in the position and 37 years with the department.
Greenwood Co. adjusts salaries to meet study recommendations
A compensation study found that a few Greenwood County employees were being paid "below market value." Now, the county council has voted to increase those lagging salaries.
Richland Co. ordered to give $15M back to its road fund
In a settlement with the S.C. Department of Revenue, Richland County has agreed to put more than $15 million back into a sales tax fund for its road improvements after the state agency said the county spent money on project managers and public relations, not on asphalt.
Man gets 20 years for shooting, injuring 2 Cayce officers
Eugene Jonathon James, 23, has pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder and other charges from a May 2017 incident where he shot but did not seriously injure two Cayce police officers. He has received a 20-year sentence.
Orangeburg man pleads guilty to trying to kill officers
Witnesses testify in trial of man accused of killing USC student
Nathaniel Rowland is standing trial on kidnapping and murder charges in the death of 21-year-old Samantha Josephson, a University of South Carolina student from New Jersey. During the second day of witness testimony, a woman dating Rowland at the time said he was late to drive her to work the morning after Josephson disappeared. Other witnesses included the turkey hunter who found Josephson's stabbed body. Prosecutors say Josephson got into Rowland's car after mistaking it for her Uber ride.
Rowland's ex-girlfriend says there was blood in his car
Leonard, Russell: We need immigrants because these jobs don't pay enough
"There’s no better place to help expand our economy than in rural communities like ours. We need smart public policy for sustained growth — and immigration reform would be a big part of it."
How to have your rich and eat them too
"Shrinking the wealth gap calls for a two-pronged attack: offer more opportunity to those at the bottom and trim the undue advantages of those at the top. In this editorial, we address the latter issue by discussing how best to tax the rich. The smartest approach is the one endorsed in 2018 by economists at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): significant, broad-based taxes on capital gains, coupled with similarly efficient levies on transfers of wealth through gifts and inheritance. As the OECD report concluded, this promises the greatest increase in equity with the fewest costly side effects."
Bowers: Public records shouldn't cost $616
"Earlier this month I submitted a public records request to the South Carolina Department of Education seeking emails sent or received by the state superintendent's office containing the words "critical race theory" and "CRT" after the superintendent put out a bizarre statement condemning the conservative bogeyman of 2021. To my surprise, the department sent me an invoice for $616."
Henninger: Global protests have a single thread of chaos
"Cuba, South Africa, Haiti, Belarus and Myanmar all have seen recent explosions of significant antigovernment protests. In a world overwhelmed by dramatic events, one’s instinct is to let them wash through. But maybe we should consider the possibility that something other than random chaos is reflected in so many antigovernment protests. Wildfires can also erupt among nations."
Needing to walk the tough talk from Biden admin
A troubling pattern is emerging in President Biden’s foreign policy: Officials talk tough—then follow up with diplomacy that amounts to little. Two examples this week—on Chinese hacking and Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline—underscore the point.
Hassol et al: Refuge from extreme heat no longer easy to find
"Heat waves and other extreme events will continue even after emissions are significantly reduced. That’s why we also need to adapt by, for example, developing heat action plans, early-warning systems and making the power grid more resilient to heat-related disruptions that can knock out electricity for fans and air-conditioning when they are needed most."
Siegel: Slowing down right thing for the right whale
"Researchers have estimated that limiting vessel speeds to 10 knots reduces a right whale’s risk of death by between 80% and 90%. And the government’s own assessment found that doing so has minimal economic burden on the shipping industry."
Work on North Charleston police bias has just begun
"We’ve commended the city of North Charleston for hiring a consultant to examine racial bias in its police department — a problem by no means unique to North Charleston, but one whose seriousness was driven home when one of its officers killed Walter Scott in 2015."
Gilbreth: The literal wild side of downtown Charleston
"Anybody who lives on the peninsula realizes we have all kinds of plant and animal life. Personally speaking, I’ve had two recent animal sightings/encounters that are memorable, one being a bald eagle soaring high over Colonial Lake, that same lake which, by the way, teems with shrimp and fish this time of year. The other encounter got rather personal and involved a broomstick. How or why, you might ask?"
Small: S.C. State cowed by hostile state policies
"South Carolina State University has never enjoyed any semblance of full membership status, and/or respect, in the community of universities supported by the State of South Carolina."
Celebrity voices can help curb addiction crisis
"As much as the influence of celebrities will continue, and likely grow because of social media, people from young to elderly would be wise to realize their influence will never be all positive. Nor will it be all negative. It would be ideal, however, if celebrities could help our country move away from substance abuse and addiction."
Let's get off to a great school year
"Most of our area’s public schools are now operating on what some prefer to call a modified schedule. That is, of course, year-round school. Classes are on for nine weeks, off for two. And while the new schedule certainly affects students, teachers, administrators and parents the most, we all are affected. Or should be. At least, that is, we should be affected in the sense that we have heightened awareness long before the traditional August school start date."