McNair takes responsibility for Orangeburg Massacre
Former S.C. Gov. Robert McNair has taken responsibility tragic Orangeburg Massacre - - a still painful episode in the state's history that left three dead and 27 wounded at S.C. State College in 1968, according to a new biography.
"The fact that I was governor at the time placed the mantle of responsibility squarely on my shoulders, and I have borne that responsibility with all the heaviness it entails for all those years," McNair told Philip G. Grose, according to an article in The State newspaper. Grose is author of "South Carolina at the Brink: Robert McNair and the Politics of Civil Rights," published by USC Press.
Tax-swapping problematic
"Here's yet another lesson on why lawmakers should bother to actually study radical changes in tax policy before they approve them. Some school districts have been raising their tax rates to get a better deal when the state changes the funding formula next year....
"Lawmakers also are swapping a highly stable tax -- the property tax -- for a less stable one -- the sales tax. Lawmakers devoted a great deal of political passion but not much critical analysis to this tax plan. The tax swap is likely to please wealthier homeowners, but it's certainly not good for the state as a whole."
SPA decides to end leases at Port Royal
The State Ports Authority has begun breaking leases with business on Port Royal property that is being sold for a redevelopment project.
Forecasters predict active hurricane
This year's hurricane season has started off slowly, but forecasters believe it will prove to be an active one for states along the east coast.
Officials question terror target list
The Inspector General's Office for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is questioning the terror target list, which identifies 308 "assets" in South Carolina, a number lower than nearly every other state.
Number of highway fatalities up
Statistics recently released by the S.C. Department of Public Safety show that as of July 9, 499 people have died on state highways, and the numbers are particularly high in Orangeburg, Greenville, Spartanburg, and Horry counties.
Study stirs up new ideas about state tax system
A recent study by Andy Brack's Charleston-based think tank The Center for a Better South reveals that South Carolina's tax system has failed to change much over the years despite changes in the state's economy.
Experts say fabrications by lawmakers typical
Experts say that fabrications are not uncommon among lawmakers and are in fact typical, but some are questioning whether fabricated debates should be included in legal briefs.
Sanford campaign criticizes Moore
Democrat Tommy Moore's record and ethics came under detailed criticism Wednesday, and allegations that his actions contributed to the Operation Lost Trust vote-selling scandal floated around.
Sanford's campaign still has $4 million
Govan receives award for service, dedication
State Rep. Jerry Govan has received the 2006 Palmetto Policy and Passion Service Award, which is presented by the S.C. Commission on National and Community Service.
Two plan to seek Sen. Verne Smith's seat
State Rep. Lewis Vaughn and Greenville attorney Frank Eppes both say they will seek the Senate seat left vacant last week by Sen. Verne Smith, who announced his resignation because of an illness.
Vaughn plans to pursue Senate seat
McNair assumes responsibility for tragedy in new bio
Former Gov. Robert E. McNair speaks out about the 1968 Orangeburg Massacre in a new biography by Philip G. Grose titled "South Carolina at the Brink: Robert McNair and the Politics of Civil Rights."
McNair speaks out about Orangeburg Massacre
Knotts' petition sends 'message'
Several Lexington County residents have signed a petition to put state Sen. Jake Knotts on the November gubernatorial ballot.
Daniel Island Marina undergoing changes
Daniel Island Marina, one of the region's largest dry-stack marinas, is being sold by units to individual buyers.
Toyota of Easley to expand
Officials with Toyota of Easley have announced plans for an expansion across six acres totaling more than $5 million.
NMB flea market being rebuilt
North Myrtle Beach Flea Market vendors are working to make up for heavy losses caused by a fire that destroyed the buildings in April.
Centex plans new development near river
Centex Homes Myrtle Beach Division is planning Heritage Preserve, a new subdivision near the Waccamaw River between Conway and Myrtle Beach.
Liberty Fellowship leaders selected
Twenty young leaders from South Carolina have been selected for Liberty Fellowship's class of 2008.
Fellowship selects 4 from Charleston area
Five fellows from Greenville
Insurers' policy costs on the rise
Insurers are finding that catastrophic hurricanes have upped the cost of reinsurance, and many companies are placing the additional cost onto customers.
More money needed for St. Helena library
Officials are busy preparing a $5 million fundraising campaign for the new St. Helena library at Penn Center.
Charter school organizers miss district deadline
Those organizing Beaufort County's first charter school missed a deadline this month to give the school district information regarding its student body and the building that it would like to operate out of.
Charleston's McGinley a Boston superintendent candidate
Nancy McGinley, chief academic officer for Charleston County schools, has been identified as a candidate for Boston superintendent.
Brentwood Middle loses principal
The third principal of Brentwood Middle SChool in the past year and a half has resigned.
Large number gather for Methodist conference
About 500 teenagers from across the state are attending the South Carolina United Methodist Youth Conference in Spartanburg, which is being held at Wofford College.
USC aims to help freshmen get good grades
The University of South Carolina in Columbia has decided to offer help to freshmen who enroll in "high risk" courses in an effort to lead more students to graduate.
State close to taking over Burke Middle
The state Department of Education has threatened to take over Burke Middle School, which is suffering from a number of severe problems despite attempts at improvements.
Concerns delay accreditation of Charleston law school
Leaders of the Charleston School of Law have assured that they will do what they must to gain accreditation and to alleviate concerns of the American Bar Association.
Lottery funds to increase for tech students
Lottery tuition scholarships will help more students attending two-year technical colleges this fall.
York Tech students to pay less for tuition
Tech students to get assistant from lottery
Lexington 1 working with increasing number of students
Growth in the Lexington area is putting an increasing number of students in the Lexington 1 School District, but schools are running out of room.
Greer makes move to annex 4 properties
Greer City Council made a move earlier this week to annex four properties in the Abner Creek Road area in order to give the city a path to a proposed Spartanburg County District 5 school. The district has asked Greer to provide the proposed school with sewer service.
Horry schools receive a nearly $1 million grant
The office of U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham announced Wednesday that Horry County schools will receive a $961,579 Safe Schools / Healthy Students grant.
Orangeburg 5 encourages uniforms
Orangeburg Consolidated School District 5 officials are now encouraging school uniforms among elementary school children.
CCU rescinds invite to candidate
Coastal Carolina University has rescinded an invite to Jim Rex, the Democratic nominee for state education superintendent, who was planning to deliver the keynote address at a seminar for first-year principals this week.
Lexington 2 seeks two properties
Lexington 2 is wanting to acquire two residential properties next to Brookland-Cayce High in order to expand and officials say the district will do so through eminent domain if necessary.
Renourishment at Edisto complete
Edisto Beach goers are pleased with the results of a long-awaited renourishment project that doubled the beach's width.
Tennessee plans to buy Bowater timberland
Tennessee is planning to buy 13,000 acres of timberland from the Greenville-based Bowater Inc.
Doctor shares innovative ideas at conference
Dr. Jim Broselow spoke Wednesday to more than 300 emergency medicine personnel at the second annual Trauma Update in Spartanburg.
S.C. decides to stick with Tenet decision
S.C. health officials have decided to stick with their decision to allow Tenet Healthcare to build a 100-bed hospital in Fort Mill.
Greenville EMS one of busiest in state
A new report by the University of South Carolina indicates that Greenville County EMS was one of the busiest in the state's most heavily populated areas, responding to over 55,000 calls last year.
New GHS chief sets priorities
Michael C. Riordan, the new CEO of the Greenville Hospital System, plans to focus on building relationships with both the medical staff and the community, in addition to reviewing growth strategies.
Shortt's attorney aims to keep him from prison
The lawyer for the former West Columbia physician who will be sentenced Monday for his role in illegally prescribing steroids to NFL players has said in court papers that Dr. James Shortt should not have to spend any time in federal prison.
Attorney says Shortt shouldn't receive federal prison time
Financial problems plague HIV drug program
The federally funded AIDS Drug Assistance Program is running out of money, and the number of AIDS patients being put on the program's waiting list is increasing. About 14,000 people in South Carolina suffer from HIV / AIDS.
Lancaster to go forward with reassessment
Lancaster County Council members decided Monday to proceed with property reassessment this year.
Pee Dee area to get $3.3 million in grants
$11.7 million in Community Development Block Grants has been awarded by the South Carolina Department of Commerce.
Sullivan's Island aims to ban smoking
Sullivan's Island Town Council has passed a new ordinance that bans smoking in all bars and restaurants, but one group of citizens claims the ban is not legal.
Bluffton to make use of touch-screen voting
Bluffton Town Council voted Wednesday in favor of transferring authority over local elections and voter registration to Beaufort County.
Jasper considers growth ban
The Jasper County Planning Commission asked County Council earlier this week to consider a one-year ban on development so that it can have time to draft tougher rules for future growth.
Old Carolina course to reopen
The Old Carolina golf course will reopen on August 1 after being closed in November because of financial problems.
Old Carolina plans to reopen in August
Beaufort councilman to resign
Beaufort County Councilman Peter Lamb plans to resign in the coming weeks in order to accept an interim position as county magistrate.
Smart Growth Coalition fights for annexation
Fourteen members of the Smart Growth Coalition, a Beaufort grass roots movement, met Wednesday in an attempt to give new life to a lobbying campaign calling for better city planning and growth.
Cottageville mayor's license wrongly suspended
The court coordinator said Wednesday that suspension of Cottageville Mayor Bert Reeves' license on Monday was done wrongfully because of an error at the Dorchester County Magistrate's Office.
Officer heads to solicitor's office on assignment
North Charleston police have appointed Sgt. Roger Reynolds to a full-time assignment at the Charleston County Solicitor's Office.
Dorchester aims to beat gasoline prices
Dorchester County's public works department recently spent $1500 on French Fry One, a 1995 diesel-powered Chevrolet Suburban that was converted to run on cook oil.
Long-time Charleston coroner to resign
Charleston County Coroner Susan Chewning is expected to announce plans to resign next month after 14 years.
Mt. Pleasant seeks public input on park
Mount Pleasant Town Council decided Wednesday to postpone a decision on the design for the 22-acre Memorial Waterfront Park.
Morris Island Lighthouse moving toward firm ground
A hold on $2.2 million approved by the federal government for saving the Morris Island Lighthouse has been lifted, and money has been found to cover a $489,000 shortfall. U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham and Jim DeMint, and U.S. Rep. Henry Brown are receiving credit.
Group adds North 101 to study of State 290 corridor
Members of a Greenville County citizens planning committee agreed Monday to add North State 101 to a North State 290-corridor study because of concerns about safety and increasing traffic congestion.
Greenville to study Easley for more potential routes
Greenville is planning to study whether Easley should be included in bus service expansion plans for Greenville, Pickens, Anderson, and Oconee counties.
Georgetown votes in favor of reassessment
Georgetown County Council voted Tuesday in favor of passing an ordinance that would implement reassessment this year.
MB group aims to improve downtown area
The Myrtle Beach Downtown Development Corp. met Wednesday to discuss ideas for improving the area known as the Superblock and Five Points.
Horry debates funding for terminal plan proposal
Horry County Council will decide Tuesday whether to give another $6.2 million for the proposed new terminal at Myrtle Beach International Airport.
Graham meets with Horry County Council
Jasper County feels sting of assessor's errors
Jasper County will likely have to raise property taxes to account for a $2.5 million shortfall in the budget stemming from errors made by the county assessor's office.
Errors could lead county to raise taxes
Groundbreaking held for MB theme park
A groundbreaking party is being held today for the Hard Rock Park, a year-round operation that will be larger than Carowinds, the 108-acre park near the Carolinas border.
Hard Rock theme park holds groundbreaking
Official aims to ease doubts about Hard Rock Park
New development in works for Columbia
Columbia City Council agreed Wednesday to sell the old Columbia Fire Department headquarters to developer Tom Prioreschi for $2.35 million.
Richland aims to save transit system
Richland County Council members have decided to increase the vehicle registration fee as part of a plan to pay for bus services until 2008
Council considers raising vehicle registration fees
Best to prepare for flu pandemic
"Better safe than sorry when it comes to a potential flu pandemic. It is reassuring that South Carolina has opted to participate in a national program to stockpile antiviral medicine in case the flu bug strikes."
Traffic survey helps shed light on problems
"So a survey put together by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office and distributed by this newspaper and other media outlets should generate a fair number of responses. It is a good conversation starter to find out what impact badly congested U.S. 278 has on our daily lives."
Beaufort prepares for 51st annual Water Festival
"Mid-July can be a time that Beaufortonians love to hate. It's not the abundance of mosquitoes, the beginning of the "real" humidity setting in or even those pesky tourists who usurp our favorite Bay Street bar stools. No, mid-July is especially frantic because of the annual Water Festival."
High-rises in hurricane-prone areas makes no sense
"Building large, costly buildings along the coast is a risky proposition as the severe damage from recent hurricanes made evident along the Gulf Coast. Ongoing plans for four condominium towers in North Myrtle Beach's Cherry Grove say those lessons haven't been sufficiently learned, at least in South Carolina."
State needs to discuss one of its biggest problems
"The pension plan has $9 billion of unfunded liabilities while the health-care plan for retirees faces another $9 billion in unfunded liabilities, according to Eckstrom. The reason the problem is rarely talked about is because the money is not needed right now but will be needed in the future."
HGTC takes initiative to find more money for health center
"By rights, local leaders shouldn't have to raise money for public-side projects. Horry County is a mother lode of sales and income tax revenue for state agencies and operations. But because the state spends most of that money elsewhere, sending only paltry amounts back here, local leaders end up having to find private money for needed educational training facilities."
Short speaks in S.C. about Katrina recovery
"Rather, Short is taking his message around the country, looking for Rotary Clubs to live up to the motto 'service above self.' He has obtained direct assistance from California to Chicago to the East Coast. Here, the Rotary Club of Orangeburg has adopted the Pass Christian club and is providing assistance. Short’s visit to South Carolina was coordinated by Rotary President Jim Johnson."
Sewell: Knotts shows Republican party disloyalty
"How far we have fallen from that ideal in South Carolina, where Republican state Sen. Jake Knotts is not only 'speaking ill' of Gov. Mark Sanford, but is threatening to launch a third-party campaign against him that could hand the governor’s office over to the Democrats."
Hotel, food taxes need to be allocated wisely
"Some council members believe that organizations in the city of Columbia receive too much of the county’s hospitality and accommodations tax money. They want to distribute more in areas outside the city. There’s nothing wrong with that as long as the groups that receive the funds are legitimate tourist draws. But the council must not fund less-qualified organizations in the county simply to avoid giving to groups in the city."