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SC tax receipts increasing
South Carolina
collected more income and sales taxes in April of 2003 than it did during the
same month last year, a sign the state's economy might be improving. The
State * Lawsuit alleges
abuse at Upstate youth homes
The lawsuit charges New Foundations Children
and Family Services, formerly known as Anderson Youth Association, and the Lutheran
Family Services’ Crain House in Greenville with not addressing known sexually
inappropriate behavior by staff, and failing to prevent sexual exploitation by
male counselors. Anderson
Independent-Mail SC trying to save prison funds
A growing number of cash-strapped state with overcrowded prisons, including South
Carolina, are considering programs that would send nonviolent drug offenders to
treatment programs instead of prison. Greenville
News South Carolinians participate in Brown vs. Board
of Education anniversary
To commemorate its anniversary, the Brown v.
Board of Education 50th Anniversary Presidential Commission, of which South Carolinian
Joseph DeLaine is a member, was brought together to meet first lady Laura Bush
at a White House ceremony Tuesday. Today, C-SPAN will record a forum on the cases
to be aired later. The
State Burial of Hunley crew put off until 2004
The burial of the H.L. Hunley's eight crewmen will be put off until 2004 in an
effort to give organizers more time to plan a Confederate ceremony that will recognize
the men who died in the first submarine to sink an enemy ship in combat. The
State/AP NAACP banquet to honor four.
State Rep.
Joe Neal will be among four leaders honored Friday at a state NAACP banquet. WCIV-TV
Extending
work on budget would be costly
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Hugh
Leatherman on Tuesday warned the General Assembly if budget work extended beyond
scheduled adjournment the first week of June, it would cost about $75,000 for
each 3-day workweek spent in Columbia. Greenville
News, WYFF-TV,
WIS-TV
Sales tax nixed in Senate
An attempt to raise the state
sales tax to generate about $200 million for public schools was not approved by
the Senate Tuesday. Spartanburg
Herald-Journal, WCIV-TV *
Spratt to endorse Gephardt
Representative John M. Spratt Jr. plans to
endorse the presidential campaign of his former leader, Representative Richard
A. Gephardt of Missouri according to party leaders. Boston
Globe
Predatory lending bill on the table
South Carolina
residents might save close to $100 million on yearly fees and interest rates charged
by lenders if a predatory lending bill compromise reached in committee Tuesday
goes on to pass in the House and Senate. Beaufort
Gazette, * Rock
Hill Herald
Beasley awarded Profile in Courage
Former
Gov. David Beasley accepted one of the most prestigious awards in public service
Monday in Boston for his stand on the Confederate battle flag. The
State
Lawmakers continue to introduce unlikely bills
South
Carolina lawmakers continue to introduce bills that they know have little or no
chance of passing since there’s not enough time left in the legislative session.
WSPA-TV
 *
Small businesses warned against phone scam
Small business owners are being
warned about a telephone scam that involves a collect call that is supposed to
be soliciting your business for an Internet listing site. WHNS-TV *
Textile mill may shut down
Concert Industries Ltd. of Mt. Pleasant
said Tuesday that it is looking into ways to improve its sluggish North American
businesses after a "weaker first-quarter operating performance than we would
have liked or had expected." Post
and Courier * 50 jobs headed to Clarendon
County
Clarendon County is slated to get 50 new jobs as Yanagawa of South
Carolina spends $4 million to expand its Manning facility. The
Item
Gas prices may be unstable
Prices have decreased
by about 20 cents a gallon since mid-March, when the war uncertainty that drove
prices up was erased by the US attack on Iraq, according to Sarah Bembry, public
relations manager with AAA Carolinas in Charlotte, N.C. Myrtle
Beach Sun News
Greenville recognizes global companies
The Upstate is home to 247 international companies from 21 countries, said John
Moore, the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce's vice president for economic
development and small business. Greenville
News
Kindergarten
to college connection needed
If South Carolina moves forward with a proposal
for a flawless educational system from pre-kindergarten through college, it could
be among the top of the nation in access and equity in education, according to
a national educator. Greenville
News * NAACP leader influences school
board decision
South Carolina's top civil rights activist accused the Aiken
County school board of being racially insensitive after it reassigned six administrators
and rid their positions in an effort to compensate for a $12.5 million hole in
the district's budget. Augusta
Chronicle
Greenville to cut 40 more jobs
About 40 additional
positions will be eliminated will be eliminated from the Greenville County school
system according to superintendent Bill Harner. The action will save the district
$2.3 million, as budgets for supplies, travel and equipment were slashed by another
$2.4 million. Greenville
News Beaufort cuts school
budget
Beaufort County Board of Education members cut their proposed budget
for next year by about $2 million Tuesday night. Beaufort
Gazette * Student
speaks on inaccurate resume
The Toccoa Falls College journalism student
who stumbled upon an inaccuracy in college president Donald Young’s résumé
said Tuesday he had no plans to bring down the president when he published the
information in late April. Anderson
Independent-Mail * SCSU president vote
likely to occur Friday
A decision on a new president for South Carolina
State University is expected when trustees meet Friday, Chairman Maurice Washington
announced Tuesday evening. Orangeburg
Times and Democrat
* USC Dean named
first woman president
The dean of liberal arts at the University of South
Carolina has been named president of New York's Hamilton College. WLTX-TV *
Oconee School District seeking $3.1 million
Oconee County school administrators
are prepared to meet with the County Council regarding the school budget, but
the council’s own calendar is fast filling up with budget meetings of its
own. Anderson
Independent-Mail *
Berkeley debates $135.6 plan
Fewer teachers, larger class sizes and
higher taxes headline the Berkeley County School District's reduced spending plan
of $135.6 million for next year Post
and Courier Administrators going back
to class Thirty Horry-Georgetown Technical College administrators will
double as faculty next year to compensate for state budget cuts and enrollment
growth. Myrtle
Beach Sun News Richland
1 might have mislead voters
Richland 1 might have misled voters concerning
the amount of land needed for a new Dreher High School, which could be grounds
for a lawsuit according to S.C.'s attorney general. The
State 
*
Lunar eclipse to take place Thursday. WACH-TV Upstate
working toward cleaner air
If Upstate leaders don't improve the air quality,
the EPA could prevent new industries from moving in. WSPA-TV Brown widows found
at Charleston base
Brown widow spiders, which may have entered Florida
from Australia in the mid-1990s, have spread northward and can now be found in
South Carolina, according to entomologists. The
State/AP Dredge reports requested
The US Army Corps of Engineers
along with the South Carolina Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management
stopped the work this past week after receiving complaints that a contractor for
the South Island Dredging Association had dumped up to 70 percent of the muck
dredged from marinas and creeks in Sea Pines into Calibogue Sound. Hilton
Head Island Packet
Chicken farm controls denied
A plan
to toughen controls on chicken farms was shelved Tuesday at Lexington County Council.
The
State
Beaufort plans park renovations
The Beaufort
City Council approved site plans for the renovation of Henry C. Chambers Waterfront
Park on Tuesday night. Beaufort
Gazette
*
Smallpox vaccines reach less than intended
When South Carolina proposed
its smallpox vaccination plan to the federal government in December, it ordered
7,800 doses to inoculate health care workers across the state, but only 833 people
have been vaccinated thus far. Post
and Courier Smoking students to attend workshop with parents
Students caught smoking at Lancaster County schools must attend tobacco education
workshops alongside their parents under a new policy approved by the school board.
The
State/AP, Charlotte
Observer
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*
Police chief breaks color barrier
John Gregory III, an assistant police
chief in High Point, NC, was named Tuesday as the first black police chief ever
in Rock Hill's 151-year history. Rock
Hill Herald * York County nonprofits
may suffer from budget cuts
From treating alcohol abusers to protecting
Lake Wylie's water quality, some County Council members question whether the county
should use taxpayers' money to help cover nonprofit agency operations. Rock
Hill Herald
* Sumter passes on hospitality
tax
Sumter County Council voted nearly unanimously Tuesday night against
a proposed 2 percent tax on restaurant and nightclub purchases in the county.
The
Item
Beaufort PSC votes for study
Beaufort County Council's
Public Services Committee unanimously recommended Tuesday that the council hire
a consultant to study the list of projects for the county's northern municipalities.
Beaufort
Gazette * Lawyer says Feldman
damaged her reputation
Charleston Lawyer Elizabeth Stuckey Murphy testified
Tuesday that she fell into depression, confusion and paranoia four years ago after
former WCSC-TV news director Donald Feldman spread lies that tarnished her reputation.
Post
and Courier Greer hoping for raise, more firefighters
The
Greer City Council received a proposed budget Tuesday that proposes three new
firefighters, six new police cars, a garbage truck and a $500 raise for city employees.
Greenville
News Spartanburg ignores request for $15 road fee
Spartanburg County Council will probably steer clear recommendation from County
Administrator Jim Hartmann to implement a $15 road maintenance fee on vehicles.
Spartanburg Herald-Journal * Anderson
museum supporters take a peek
The volunteers and donors who mingled at
a "sneak preview" of the Anderson County Museum on Tuesday were amazed
by the building and its exhibits and that the museum had finally become a reality.
Anderson
Independent-Mail
Budget might increase service fees
Rock Hill residents might avoid a property tax hike but face higher service fees
for the third year in a row under the budget proposal unveiled this week. Charlotte
Observer
Animal control workers to get updated
Pickens
County animal control officers are scheduled to get an overdue update from county
officials today on changes in the law that should help keep dangerous animals
off the streets and away from people and other pets. Bluffton urges budget
increase. Hilton
Head Island Packet
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Letters
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Legislators
need to finish on time
"It would be particularly outrageous if state
lawmakers did not finish their work on time this year and had to return for an
extended session at a cost of $25,000 a day. In fact, state taxpayers should expect
— no, make that demand — that lawmakers forgo their supplemental pay
if they have to return to Columbia after June 5 to take care of unfinished business."
Greenville
News
Schools aren't fully funded
"Around South Carolina, public school students are winding down two weeks
of mandatory state testing. These students, their teachers and administrators
are answering the call by state lawmakers for strict accountability. The question
is whether state lawmakers intend to hold up their end of the equation."
The
State
Beaufort celebrates Marines' return
"Life has
begun to return to normal for some members of America's military as units return
to the United States. Lt. Col. Tom Clark, commanding officer of the VMFA 251 Thunderbolts,
may have said it best upon his return Monday: It's just great to be here.""
Beaufort
Gazette Lesson to be learned from defunct school laptop program
"The program, which was one of the strongest early pushes by Superintendent
Herman Gaither, was always too good to be true. It was to make expensive laptops
available to any sixth-grader who wanted one, raise test scores and close the
technology gap by putting computers into the hands of poor students. It was to
prepare the students for the work force of tomorrow." Hilton
Head Island Packet NAACP to refocus
"Jesse Jackson
will make a lot of enemies with his protest march in Greenville this weekend,
but we wish him well if his point is truly, as he says, to get more people to
pay attention to civil rights." Carolina
Morning News Questions surround dredging issue
"The
first issue is where dredged material should be deposited: Should it be pumped
into the Calibogue Sound using the inland open-water method or should it be barged
farther offshore using the ocean-disposal method? The second issue is whether
or not a bill should be passed exempting the marinas and creeks in Sea Pines from
the state permitting process." Carolina
Morning News Rivoli Theater being reconstructed
"The
road to hell, they say, is paved with good intentions. If so, Myrtle Beach City
Council members produced a truckload of concrete in speculating last month that
a referendum could be a dandy way to speed up reconstruction of the Rivoli Theater.
Even though the speculation was goodhearted, some took it the wrong way."
Myrtle
Beach Sun News Cooper adds to 2004 race
"The race to
replace SC Sen. Arthur Ravenel, should Ravenel decide to retire, got a lot more
interesting recently when Surfside Beach dentist Ray Cleary announced that he's
a candidate for the seat. Should Ravenel, R-Mount Pleasant, decide not to run
for another term, as he hinted recently, at least two Horry County Republicans
probably will vie to replace him. Horry County Council member Terry Cooper also
has expressed interest in the Senate seat." Myrtle
Beach Sun News * Peeler a wise choice
"Former
Lt. Gov. Bob Peeler won election to the Clemson University Board of Trustees last
week in a vote in the state legislature. The victory will have an impact on the
university and the region, perhaps more of one than the election he didn’t
win last fall." Anderson
Independent-Mail * Legislative behavior
appalling
"State legislators have reached an impasse, with rising
rancor widening the gap between their partisan positions so far that legislative
paralysis looms. One side calls the other "cowardly and childish." The
other side responds that it is merely resisting "a series of outrageous,
iron-fisted power plays."" Post
and Courier * South Carolinians will
persevere
"We see in the history of textiles in Greenwood how that
industry has changed. We have also seen how the agricultural revolution has been
weaned away from the lives of so many South Carolinians and others all over the
world. Cotton, the foundation of the textile industry, was integral, really, to
the industrial and agricultural revolution. That money crop has declined through
the years, as have tobacco and other facets of the state’s farming economy.
Now, as state budgets are being drastically cut, Clemson University is being forced
to cut some positions from its Extension Service." Greenwood
Index-Journal * Price for standing on
principle
"Then-Gov. Roy Barnes used the Confederate flag issue in
an under-the table way when DaimlerChrysler was selecting a site for a new manufacturing
plant. With Dorchester County in South Carolina the primary competitor, Barnes
a year ago indicated to company officials that Georgia had settled its flag issues
while South Carolina had not." Orangeburg
Times and Democrat
* York County
messes up CSX deal
"In January, a special task force helping to craft
a vision statement for York County bemoaned the lack of industrial development
in the county as the industrial tax base continues to shrink relative to residential
growth. But less than four months later, the County Council rejected an industrial
project that would have brought at least 33 new jobs and $450,000 a year in property
taxes to the county." Rock
Hill Herald * Bill offers prescription
drugs for elderly, disabled
"On April 30, the S.C. House of Representatives
passed the Bulk Buying Prescription Drug Act (HR 3586) and sent it to the Senate
for action. When this bill is signed into law by Gov. Sanford, hundreds of Waccamaw
area seniors and disabled persons without prescription drug insurance will not
have to choose between buying food and paying the full price for prescription
drugs because they don't qualify for the SilverXCard." Georgetown
Times Saxena: Democratic debate looks at candidates
"By
any standard, May 4 and 5 was a historic weekend for the SC State Democratic Convention
[at the University of South Carolina] in Columbia. There were many firsts: For
the first time, a presidential debate was held so early. For the first time, nine
presidential candidates participated in a debate, televised by a major network.
For the first time, South Carolina is the site of an early and significant presidential
primary for the Democratic Party presidential nomination." Myrtle
Beach Sun News Elmore: We must fix our highways
"Each
day in South Carolina, three people crash their vehicles and die on our state's
roads, on average. We are third in the nation in fatalities, and the situation
is only getting worse." The
State Scoppe: Partial ban better than no ban
"Granted,
smart budget cutting probably wasn't the motivation of most of the legislators
who supported the bill by Rep. Jim Merrill to prohibit state agencies from hiring
outside lobbyists. But it might have been the additional reason representatives
needed to do something that should have been done long ago." The
State DeMint: Our soldiers have fought brilliantly
"Citizen-soldiers
today — our reservists and National and Air Guardsmen — are being called
on once again to defend America in the war on terrorism, most recently joining
other troops in the field to liberate Iraq. Whether securing a bridgehead, opening
supply channels or flying sorties over Baghdad, our fighting men and women have
served brilliantly." Greenville
News | 
