TheState.com: News

Law enforcement steps up presence on Lake Murray for holiday

Fri, 25 May 2012 21:11 EDT

State Natural Resources officers will be out in force on Lake Murray for the start of the summer boating season this Memorial Day holiday weekend.

About 20 officers – triple the usual total – will be on the 47,500-acre lake throughout the weekend, seeking to prevent tragedy.

It’s one of the busiest periods on the lake, as it is with other state waterways, officials said.

And with temperatures hovering around 90 degrees, the lake could become even more popular as a place to cool off.

Concern about safety on the lake has intensified after a pair of nearly simultaneous boating crashes on May 1, 2010, left four dead. Overall, there have been eight deaths at Lake Murray in the past two years, but none this year.

Haleys’ income, taxes boom

Fri, 25 May 2012 20:26 EDT

The income of Gov. Nikki Haley and first gentleman Michael Haley rose sharply in 2011 – because of nearly $200,000 in book royalties paid to the Republican governor for her memoir – and so did the couple’s tax bill.

Haley’s office released the governor’s 2011 federal and state income tax returns Friday, showing the couple jointly earned nearly $167,000 in salaries – about $106,000 from her job as governor and nearly $61,000 from his job with the National Guard.

That’s up from the roughly $156,000 that they earned in 2010.

The couple took in an additional $199,850 because of the partial payment of royalties due on Haley’s memoir, “Can’t Is Not An Option,” released in April.

As a result, their total income from 2011 was more than $367,000.

SC Supreme Court to revisit school funding case

Fri, 25 May 2012 20:13 EDT

Nearly four years after the S.C. Supreme Court heard arguments in a momentous school funding lawsuit, the justices have ordered the lawyers to come back to argue the case again.

A two-page order, dated Wednesday, provides few clues as to why.

But the justices instructed lawyers to be prepared to discuss any recent legislation on public school financing that may have affected the case.

The core question is whether South Carolina provides poor, rural school districts with enough money to ensure that their students get the same constitutionally guaranteed “minimally adequate” education as do students in wealthier communities.

The legal question has roots going back nearly 20 years.

Fireflies at Congaree swamp light together

Fri, 25 May 2012 20:41 EDT

The rare visual symphony of firefly synchronization has been playing at Congaree National Park recently.

There is no telling how long the show will last, so you might want to head out to the park one night this weekend if you want to see it.

When fireflies synchronize it’s as if many of them are hitting the glow button simultaneously time after time, sort of like a string of Christmas tree lights. Congaree National Park is one of the few places in the U.S. where this phenomenon has been well documented. Usually, it lasts only a few days or weeks in early June.

If you want to take a chance that the show will be on this weekend, the park is at 100 National Park Road, off Bluff Road in southern Richland County. The visitors center isn’t open after dark, but the parking lot and trails are. Flashlights are recommended.

Park superintendent Tracy Swartout says the best place to catch the show usually is the elevated section of the boardwalk trail.

New Spring Valley principal starts out with controversy

Fri, 25 May 2012 20:17 EDT

A former Spring Valley High School assistant principal will be returning to the school as its first African-American principal – but not without some controversy.

Baron Davis, who is currently the assistant principal at Alcorn Middle School in Richland 1, will return to Richland 2’s Spring Valley beginning July 1.

“That I’m excited (to be returning) is an understatement,” Davis said.

A former assistant administrator and assistant principal at Spring Valley from 1999-2006, Davis worked under Spring Valley’s current principal, Greg Owings. Owings has taken a position as principal at Dutch Fork High School in the Lexington-Richland 5 district.

While Davis’ hiring marks a first for the school, the decision to hire Davis, approved by the district’s board of trustees Tuesday in a 4-3 vote is meeting with some concerns from parents.

Storm could spoil S.C. beach holidays

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:11 EDT

Beryl might spoil Memorial Day weekend beach trips in South Carolina.

A low pressure system off Florida has the potential to gather into a weak tropical storm this weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center. The official chance at 5 p.m. Friday was 80 percent that the system would be the second named storm of the season – Beryl.

The track of the potential Beryl remains iffy, but the best guess is that the center would come ashore in northern Florida or Georgia on Sunday with a small core of 35-45 mph winds, according to Mark Malsick, severe weather liaison with South Carolina’s State Climate Office.

Conditions aren’t right for the storm to strengthen significantly, Malsick said.

For South Carolina’s beaches, the storm likely will bring larger-than-normal waves, getting rougher Sunday and Monday, according to surf forecasts. The Beaufort-Hilton Head area could get 25 mph gusts, with Sunday likely the worst day for wind and rough surf.

Dreher graduation: A neck in need

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:13 EDT

Kevin Reese, right, with the Columbia Police Department's Homicide Division, gives his own necktie to graduating senior Mikeal Donaldson moments before Dreher's graduation exercises Friday at the Carolina Coliseum. Reese didn't know Donaldson, but heard that the Dreher High School senior wasn't going to be able to march in his graduation if he didn't have a necktie.

Vick quits congressional race, media buyer says

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:10 EDT

State Rep. Ted Vick on Friday ended his bid to become the Democratic nominee for South Carolina’s new 7th congressional district following his arrest Thursday in Columbia on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and illegally carrying a gun.

“While I have full confidence that the legal system will clear much of this up, it will not change the fact that I made some serious mistakes that I alone am responsible for,” the four-term House member said in a statement. “I realize that I have caused pain to those who love and support me and it’s my responsibility to make this right.

“After spending time with my family, my pastor and my friends, I have decided to end my campaign for the United States Congress.” Vick had apologized for his actions Thursday.

“I will humbly seek re-election to the State House in November,” his statement on Friday said. “If re-elected I will continue to work across party aisles to seek consensus and progress.”

Vick had been the Democrat’s fund-raising leader in the campaign for the largely coastal, Republican-leaning district.

SNAPSHOTS: Ben Lippen School Graduation

Sat, 26 May 2012 00:12 EDT

Columbia’s pool season features new location

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:51 EDT

The public pool lineup in the Midlands has a brand new option this year, just in time to fill some of the demand caused by the temporary closing of another pool.

The public outdoor swimming season begins today with the opening of Columbia’s Greenview Park pool at 6700 David St. The Greenview pool, which closed one day a week in the past, will be open seven days a week this summer. The city’s other outdoor pool – at Maxcy Gregg Park – is closed all summer due to renovations.

The new public pool opening this year is at the Richland County Recreation Commission’s rebuilt St. Andrews Park at 920 Beatty Road. The park’s grand re-opening is June 1, and the pool opens June 2 along with the agency’s other pools at Trenholm Park at 3900 Covenant Road and Hopkins Park at 150 Hopkins Park Road.

The indoor pool at Columbia’s Drew Wellness Center is open year-round, though it’s closed Monday for Memorial Day.

Joey Holleman

Matters of Faith, May 26

Fri, 25 May 2012 18:29 EDT

THIS WEEK

BETHLEHEM BAPTIST OF COLUMBIA: Movie Night featuring “Courageous,” 6 p.m. Friday, 1218 Lyon St. Free ages 4 and under; $2, ages 5-10; $4 ages 11 and older. (803) 254-5651

BIBLE WAY CHURCH OF ATLAS ROAD: Pentecost Celebration, 8 and 11 a.m. Sunday, 2440 Atlas Road. (803) 776-1238; www.bwcar.org

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: Chamber Choir Pre-Piccolo Spoleto Concert, 7 p.m. Thursday, 1324 Marion St. (803) 799-9062; www.firstprescolumbia.org

FOREST LAKE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: Summer Women’s Bible Study, registration due by Wednesday. Meets 2:30-4:30 p.m. Mondays beginning June 4, 6500 N. Trenholm Road. (803) 787-5672

Community Calendar, May 26

Fri, 25 May 2012 18:54 EDT

TODAY

OPERATION THANK YOU: Stop by the food court area at Dutch Square mall 8 a.m.-4 p.m. today and sign a thank you card for a deployed soldier. You can also sign get well cards to be distributed to wounded patients in Afghanistan. (803) 467-2622

JAILBREAK 5K RUN/WALK: 8:30 a.m. today at the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, 521 Gibson Road, Lexington. Packet pickup and late registration begin at 6:30 a.m. Proceeds benefit the Lexington County Sheriff’s Foundation, which provides equipment, materials, training and supplies not provided for in the department’s annual budget. Advance registration, $25; race day, $30. Register at http://www.strictlyrunning.com

SOMMERFEST CAR SHOW: 9 a.m.-noon today at 1400 block of Main Street (between Hampton and Washington streets. Sponsored by the Porsche Club of America, Carolinas Region. (803) 514-2828

HISTORIC WALKING TOUR: 10 a.m.-noon today. Exteriors tour of Camden’s Logtown neighborhood begins and ends in the parking lot of the Camden Archives and Museum on Broad Street. Free, but tour is limited to 25 participants; call (803) 432-2525 to register.

Driver, pedestrian killed in Lexington Co. collision identified

Fri, 25 May 2012 17:15 EDT

A driver and pedestrian were killed in a wreck early Friday morning in Lexington County.

Lexington coroner Harry Harman identified those killed as Robert A. Beaver, 27, of Batesburg-Leesville and Terry R. Parker, 57, of Marion, N.C.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol reported that Beaver was headed west on US 378 near Lake Murray around 2:25 a.m. when he lost control of his Mazda sedan and ran off the left side of the road.

After striking a guardrail, the car struck and killed Parker who was walking on the side of the road.

Both the driver, who was wearing a seat-belt according to the S.C. Highway Patrol, and the male pedestrian were pronounced dead on the scene, Harman said.

Deputies: Gilbert man killed wife over custody dispute

Fri, 25 May 2012 15:55 EDT

Lexington County deputies arrested a man after he confessed to fatally shooting his estranged wife at his Gilbert home.

Jeffrey Martinez, 31, was arrested Thursday and charged with murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a violent crime after his wife, Ginger Anne Martinez, was shot and killed at his Hayes Street home about 6 p.m.

Ginger Martinez, 31, came to the home to pick up the couple’s two children, deputies say. When she got there, the two started arguing about custody, and the argument escalated. She was then hit in the chin and upper body with a single shotgun round. Lexington County EMS workers tried to revive the woman when they arrived, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The couple’s children, 9 and 5, were at the home when the shooting occured, but did not witness the incident, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Erik Murrah said.They are now in the custody of the state Department of Social Services.

Jeffrey Martinez called 911 after the shooting and told dispatchers that he had just shot and killed his wife, deputies say. When investigators arrived, Martinez admitted to the killing again and was arrested.

Coroner: Lower Richland shooting victim was celebrating birthday

Fri, 25 May 2012 17:38 EDT

The man fatally shot Thursday in Lower Richland was celebrating his birthday.

Aubrey Anderson had just turned 22 when he was shot multiple times in his upper body shot in the 3700 block of Baywater Drive near Leesburg Road about 12:30 p.m., Richland County Coroner Gary Watts said Thursday. An autopsy revealed that he died of the gunshot wounds.

Deputies were called to the block about 30 minutes prior to the shooting because of a disturbance stemming from an ongoing spat between neighbors. Shortly after they left, the sheriff’s department received another call about shots fired in the neighborhood. A suspect was taken into custody, but prosecutors have decided not to press charges at this time, Richland County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Curtis Wilson said Friday.

The incident is still under investigation, and anyone with information should contact Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC at www.sccrimestoppers.com.

―R. Darren Price

SC revises hurricane emergency procedures

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:27 EDT

Voluntary evacuation orders no longer are part of the hurricane plan in South Carolina.

One of the major tweaks in the 2012 plan is the elimination of the voluntary order, which was a bit of an oxymoron. If it’s time to evacuate in the future, the governor will issue one evacuation order, which should be considered mandatory. That way there’s no misinterpretation of the danger.

The change, part of the annual streamlining of state emergency procedures, will be included in the state hurricane plan updated Sunday on the Emergency Management Division’s website. Hurricane season begins June 1.

“We’re one of the last states to have a voluntary evacuation order,” said Derrec Becker, spokesman for the emergency division. “Instead, we’ll just have an evacuation order by the governor, and that’s it.”

Experience indicated few people heeded voluntary evacuation orders. But the orders required state agencies and the Red Cross to begin deploying resources, Becker said. If nobody evacuated, those resources were wasted.

PHOTOS: Eau Claire Graduation - 2012

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:44 EDT

Yemassee officer suspended on misconduct count

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:43 EDT

A police captain from the Lowcountry community of Yemassee has been suspended without pay after being charged with talking almost $11,000 seized in police traffic stops.

The Beaufort Gazette reports ( http://bit.ly/JO0OCD) town officials were notified this week that Capt. Gregory Alexander had been charged with one count of misconduct in office and two counts of breach of trust with fraudulent intent.

Police Chief Jack Hagy said the charges follow a State Law Enforcement Division investigation. Investigators say the money came from traffic stops in 2009 and 2010.

Hagy says the department is standing by Alexander. He says he has full faith and confidence in the officer and that the matter will be resolved. A phone number for Alexander could not be located.

Orangeburg County SWAT team called to domestic dispute

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:26 EDT

Orangeburg County deputies have arrested a man after a stand-off that started as a domestic dispute.

Jermaine Eric Halmon, 31, is charged with two counts of attempted murder after a man and woman told deputies they were shot at after an altercation at a Penn Road home about 2:17 a.m. Friday.

Deputies say that Halmon asked to use the woman’s car, and when she refused, he broke her TV. The woman tried to leave the home with her children, but Halmon wouldn’t let them leave, deputies say. The woman was able to get out of the house.

The woman returned with a man, deputies say, who asked Halmon to release the children, deputies say. Halmon let them go, and closed the home’s front door. The man and woman told investigators that when he reopened the door shortly after, he fired a shotgun at them.

Halmon then barricaded himself in the home. Police tried to get him to come out with a loudspeaker but he refused. When a SWAT team was sent to the home, Halmon exited and was arrested, deputies say.

Zip line off Yorktown mentioned for proposed park

Fri, 25 May 2012 08:43 EDT

A proposed adventure park at the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum could include a zip line from the deck of the aircraft carrier Yorktown and a boardwalk through the tree canopy.

The Post and Courier of Charleston reports ( http://bit.ly/JYdeIF) those are among the suggestions being made for a 10-acre park near the museum on Charleston Harbor. Patriots Point would lease land to the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission to operate the park.

Patriots Point Chairman Wayne Adams says the land cannot be used for anything else.

The parks commission has $1.5 million for the eco-park. Officials say it would not cost Patriots Point anything but would attract new visitors.

Any lease arrangement would have to be approved by the state Budget and Control Board.

Video: Where’d the big snake go?

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:08 EDT

Specialists went looking for Healthwood's by-now infamous giant reptile Thursday.

Northeast Richland house destroyed in fire

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:49 EDT

A Northeast Richland house was destroyed by fire Friday morning when some cooking went unattended, the Columbia-Richland Fire Department said.

The home at 108 Ione St., near Clemson Road, caught fire around 8:15 a.m. Fire crews arriving at the scene saw the homeowner outside the burning structure with an injury. The man was taken to Palmetto Health Richland for treatment, spokesman Brick Lewis said. The injuries were described as non-life-threatening.

The home was a total loss, with damages estimated at about $50,000.

There were no other injuries reported. The resident is getting assistance from family in the area, Lewis said.

Kelly Davis

Dragon makes history with space station docking

Fri, 25 May 2012 18:23 EDT

The private company SpaceX made history Friday with the docking of its Dragon capsule to the International Space Station, the most impressive feat yet in turning routine spaceflight over to the commercial sector.

It marked the first time a business enterprise delivered a supply ship to the space station.

"There's so much that could have gone wrong and it went right," said an elated Elon Musk, the young, driven billionaire behind SpaceX.

"This really is, I think, going to be recognized as a significantly historical step forward in space travel - and hopefully the first of many to come."

SpaceX still has to get its Dragon back next week with a load of science gear; the retro bell-shaped capsule is designed to splash down into the ocean, in the style of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. But Friday was the crucial step, Musk noted, and NASA agreed the next SpaceX mission could come as early as September.

1 arrested after stabbing in Lake Carolina

Fri, 25 May 2012 13:19 EDT

A person was hospitalized after they were stabbed at a Abbeydale Way near Sunset Park in Lake Carolina.

The person got in an argument with a roommate about 8:15 p.m. Thursday, Richland County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Chris Cowan said. The argument got physical and the person was stabbed. The person was taken to the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries.

The roommate was charged with assault and battery, Cowan said. Names of the victim and suspect were not immediately available.

―R. Darren Price

SC man gets 20 years in death of former minister

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:34 EDT

A judge in Rock Hill has sentenced a man to 20 years in prison for his part in the death of a former minister two years ago.

The Herald of Rock Hill reports (http://bit.ly/Jvsvfw) that Circuit Court Judge John Hayes sentenced 51-year-old Christopher Varnadore on Thursday. Varnadore had pleaded guilty last year to voluntary manslaughter, criminal conspiracy and accessory after the fact.

The charges stemmed from the death of 44-year-old Richard Leach.

Varnadore cooperated with authorities in the trial of co-conspirator Steven Spagnoli who was found guilty in April and sentenced to life in prison.

In September of 2010, deputies responded to a home after a gunshot victim called for help. They found Leach dying of a gunshot wound.

New Spoleto season opens in Charleston

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:01 EDT

Another edition of the Spoleto Festival USA opened Friday amid a brass fanfare, a shower of confetti and reminders of how important the arts are to cities.

"Spoleto, as far as I know, is the only American arts festival to be hosted by an entire city," Rocco Landesman, the chairman of the National Endowment of the Arts told a crowd of several hundred people gathered in front of Charleston City Hall.

"City and towns change when you bring the arts into the center of them and I can think of few better examples than Charleston," he added.

The 17-day festival that opened Friday is the 36th season of the arts festival established here in 1977 by the late composer Gian Carlo Menotti as a companion to his Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.

The internationally known Charleston festival features more than 140 performances on stages throughout the city. When the companion city-run festival, Piccolo Spoleto, is included, it will mean almost 800 performances.

Dispatcher sentenced for illegal child conduct

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:03 EDT

A former 911 dispatcher in Anderson County has been sentenced to house arrest and probation for illegal conduct toward a child.

Branden Newton pleaded guilty in Anderson on Thursday. The case involved a 5-month-old girl who suffered two skull fractures in 2010.

Circuit Judge Alex Macaulay sentenced Newton to six months house arrest and five years' probation during the hearing attended by about 40 of Newton's relatives and friends.

Prosecutors had sought up to five years in prison, arguing that Newton lied about the circumstances under which the child was injured. Prosecutors said Newton originally said the child fell from a couch but later said the girl fell from a kitchen counter.

Cayce cops: suspects stole cigarettes from gas station

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:14 EDT

Cayce police are looking for two men who broke into an Airport Boulevard gas station.

The men stole a large quantity of cigarettes and other items from the station about 1 a.m. May 19, investigators say. They are thought to be driving in an red or burgundy older model Buick Oldsmobile.

If you have any information on the incident, contact the Cayce Department of Public Safety at (803) 794-0456 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

―R. Darren Price

Haley: SC House leader pushing ethics investigation

Fri, 25 May 2012 10:03 EDT

Gov. Nikki Haley’s office Thursday all but accused House Speaker Bobby Harrell, R-Charleston, of a political vendetta. Meanwhile, Harrell’s office accused Haley of attempting to short-circuit a House Ethics Committee investigation into whether the governor broke state law.

Haley aides questioned whether Harrell unfairly is influencing the six-member panel’s review into whether Haley illegally lobbied or broke other ethics laws while a state representative. The panel is appointed by the full House.

“It is totally inappropriate for any member outside of the committee, including the speaker, to force himself into this process and order the committee to do anything,” said Rob Godfrey, Haley’s spokesman. “This is supposed to be a process where law and rules – not politics – determine the outcome.”

While both Republicans, Haley and Harrell have a history of conflicts.

However, Harrell’s office Thursday denied the speaker has exerted undue influence over the ethics investigation. Harrell did not ask the committee to review any specific documents or seek out any specific information, his office said.

Historic preservation at center of Columbia awards presentation

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:25 EDT

The Historic Columbia Foundation held its annual preservation awards celebration Thursday night at 701 Whaley, an historic venue in its own right.

Each year, the nonprofit honors a select number of properties that have been restored to their former glory or adapted to a new use and the individuals and organizations behind them.

Honorees for this year included everything from a rural school built for African-American students to a new Main Street retailer quickly becoming a Midlands attraction.

John Sherrer, director of cultural resources for the foundation, said the honorees represented a “nice cross-section” of properties.

“But what you really have is an example of how Columbia is constantly maturing in its appreciation of historic neighborhoods and culturally important properties,” he said.

Compromise on abortions ‘a win-win’

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:39 EDT

Public money would not pay for some abortions under the state health insurance plan, according to a compromise brokered Thursday by two state senators.

The state health plan, which covers 417,000 people and is financed by a combination of premiums paid by state workers and taxpayers, now pays for abortions if the life of the mother is in danger, or in cases of rape or incest.

The compromise — worked out between state Sens. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, and Lee Bright, R-Spartanburg — would prohibit using taxpayer money to pay for abortions in the case of rape or incest. Instead, premiums paid by state workers alone would pay for those procedures.

Employees who do not support abortion could opt out, and their premiums would not pay for the procedures, if there are any. Since 2006, the state health plan has paid for six abortions. All six were performed to save the life of the mother, according to the state Budget and Control Board, which administers the state health plan.

The compromise will not be part of the $6.7 billion general fund budget that Senators approved Thursday. Instead, a budget rule would require the state health plan to determine how much, if any, premiums paid by state workers would have to increase in order to satisfy the proposal. Then, lawmakers would have to pass a law establishing the new guidelines. The health plan’s report is due to legislators by Nov. 15.

Richland budget plan boosts courts, law enforcement

Thu, 24 May 2012 21:54 EDT

Richland County’s court system and law enforcement would get a $2.7 million boost to hire and retain employees as part of a 2012-13 budget plan.

County Council agreed to raise property taxes to hire defense lawyers, increase pay for prosecutors and set up a new magistrate’s office in Blythewood.

In the process, council members increased their own salaries, too.

But it was Sheriff Leon Lott, who said he doesn’t want to risk losing good deputies, who’ll get the bulk of the new money – $1.7 million. That would give him 8 percent more for salaries than he had this year. The sheriff said he would focus on boosting pay for the lowest paid of his 675 to 700 deputies.

“Everybody recognizes public safety is a priority, and we have to maintain that,” Lott said Thursday. “We don’t want to go backwards.”

Orangeburg County suing dead sheriff’s estate over missing money

Thu, 24 May 2012 21:55 EDT

Before his death in 2010, Orangeburg County Sheriff Larry Williams pilfered tens of thousands of dollars from public coffers, according to a lawsuit filed against the late law enforcement chief.

The county has sued Williams’ estate, alleging that he took money that his department had received as reimbursements for participation in state and federal task forces and put it into personal bank accounts, according to the lawsuit, as reported Thursday by The (Orangeburg) Times and Democrat newspaper.

Williams was sheriff for nearly a decade before his September 2010 death from multiple illnesses including chronic kidney disease and acute respiratory failure at the age of 53. Current Sheriff Leroy Ravenell audited the office’s books and found more than $200,000 that had not been included in financial statements, the paper reported.

According to the suit, Williams spread the money among 11 bank accounts and used it for personal expenses, such as paying off a $60,000 loan on an RV that he owned.

County officials are also suing Williams’ girlfriend, Ivadella Walters, who worked for the sheriff and also had a job at a credit union. Through her bank job, the suit says, Walters helped Williams open the bank accounts and squirrel away the public funds.

New program to help emergency workers figure out elderly medical issues

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:45 EDT

A new medicine bottle could save an elderly person’s life but it doesn’t contain pills.

Instead, the new LifeScripts bottles distributed by the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and Hospice Care of Tri-County will contain medical information on elderly residents and people with serious medical conditions.

“It’s vital information,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said.

Lott announced that his deputies who work with the department’s Project H.O.P.E. will begin this week to hand out the bottles. About 600 elderly residents are enrolled in the project, which provides community services to them, Lott said.

Senior citizens will be encouraged to fill out medical information on a provided form and then to place the form in the pill bottle. The bottles will be put in the door of their refrigerators and a magnet will stick to the fridge’s door to alert emergency medical technicians to it. The bottles look like they could hold prescription pills.

SC political briefs

Thu, 24 May 2012 21:59 EDT

Senate OKs $6.6 billion budget

The state Senate has approved a $6.6 billion spending plan that gives most state workers a 3 percent raise, distributes more money to public schools and hires more than 100 law enforcement officers.

The Senate gave the budget final approval Thursday, sending its plan back to the House, which has passed a differing spending plan.

Approval came after senators defeated attempts by state Sen. Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, to remove roughly $4 million for private nonprofits and local public projects from the budget. Items Massey wanted removed included $300,000 for a North Myrtle Beach museum, $100,000 for a fire station in tiny Andrews and $200,000 toward preserving Mitchelville on Hilton Head Island, America’s first community of freed slaves.

Democratic senators trumped Massey’s amendment by adding dozens of items, including money for public schools and colleges, to the list of spending to be cut. The Senate then killed the whole thing.

Community Calendar, May 25

Thu, 24 May 2012 21:58 EDT

TODAY

OPERATION THANK YOU: Stop by the food court area at Dutch Square mall 8 a.m.-4 p.m. today and Saturday and sign a thank you card for a deployed soldier. You can also sign get well cards to be distributed to wounded patients in Afghanistan. (803) 467-2622

HAPPY HOUR HISTORY TOUR: 5:30-7:30 p.m. today sponsored by the Historic Columbia Foundation. Meet at the base of the State House steps on Gervais Street for last-of-the-season guided tour of Main Street. $25 (HCF members, $20), includes two adult beverages and appetizers along the way. Reservations are encouraged, call (803) 252-1770, ext. 24, or email reservations@historiccolumbia.org. Walk-up registration will be accepted if space permits.

SC SHAKESPEARE COMPANY: “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” 7:30 tonight through Sunday at Saluda Shoals Park, 5605 Bush River Road. Outdoor performances, concessions available. $10; age 12 and younger, $5. Sponsored by the Saluda Shoals Foundation, Lexington Medical Center and the SC Shakespeare Company. (803) 213-2025; http://www.icrc.net

SATURDAY

Giving help, getting help, May 25

Thu, 24 May 2012 21:58 EDT

GOOD NEIGHBORS

THE WEST COLUMBIA POLICE DEPARTMENT is kicking off its 2012 “Fan the Heat” project. The program provides fans for the elderly and those with medical conditions who need a little help coping with the heat. If you would like to donate a fan or if you need one, contact Lt. John Norman at (803) 936-6280. Tax deductible financial contributions should be made to the West Columbia Police Officers Foundation.

BI-LO will donate 1 percent of your grocery bill to In-Vest USA. Shoppers can download special boostersplus cards at http://www.investusa.org. In-Vest USA is a Columbia-based organization founded in 1993 to equip police officers with life-saving body armor.

THE SENIOR SERVANT MINISTRY at Rehoboth Baptist Church will provide transportation for those needing Voter ID cards 9 a.m.-3 p.m. today and Tuesday through Thursday. For more information or to request transportation, call (803) 920-1007.

VOLUNTEERS

Columbia cops arrest state representative for DUI, weapons possession

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:39 EDT

Columbia police officers arrested a state representative Thursday for driving under the influence of alcohol and the unlawful carrying of a pistol after he was stopped for speeding.

S.C. Rep. Ted Vick, D-Chesterfield, was released from the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on personal recognizance bonds for the charges. He also was given a ticket for speeding.

Vick, 39, is one of several candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for South Carolina’s new 7th congressional seat. That primary is scheduled for June 12.

Vick was stopped at 1:12 a.m. Thursday on Devine Street by a Columbia police officer who had pulled him over for driving 44 mph in a 30-mph zone, according to a Columbia Police Department report. The officer smelled alcohol, but Vick refused to take a field sobriety test or a breath test, the report said.

When Vick was taken to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, a jail officer discovered a Kel-Tec .380-caliber pistol in his front pocket. He had not notified officers that he was carrying a gun, and a concealed-weapons permit in his wallet had expired in 2007, the report said.

Images vary of man charged in old murder of NY boy

Sat, 26 May 2012 03:27 EDT

The anniversary of the day 6-year-old Etan Patz vanished on his way to school dawned with his suspected killer in police custody, but it ended with a muddled portrait of the man who confessed to strangling the little boy and dumping his body in the trash.

A former neighbor who knew Pedro Hernandez as a teenager says he was someone you wouldn't want to cross - a reserved but "pent-up" young man. But the pastor of his church says Hernandez, now 51, is simply a shy and timid man who faithfully attends Sunday services.

Now on suicide watch at Bellevue Hospital, Hernandez was arraigned Friday via video link from a hospital ward on a charge of murder. His court-appointed lawyer, Harvey Fishbein, told the judge that Hernandez is bipolar, schizophrenic and has a "history of hallucinations, both visual and auditory."

Hernandez, who was a teenage convenience store clerk at the time Etan went missing, now lives in Maple Shade, N.J. He was arrested Thursday after making a surprise confession in a case that has bedeviled investigators for 33 years. Hernandez told police he lured Etan into the basement of a convenience store with a promise of a soda, choked him to death, then stuffed his body in a bag and left it with trash on the street a block away.

The legal proceeding lasted only about four minutes. Expressionless, wearing an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs, Hernandez didn't speak or enter a plea.

Veto showdown over ETV brewing again (+ SURVEY)

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:14 EDT

Lawmakers appear headed toward another veto showdown with Gov. Nikki Haley over state money for the 11 TV and eight radio outlets that make up S.C. Educational Television.

Haley has said she thinks ETV should be paid for with private money, not taxpayer dollars. Last year, she vetoed the agency’s state money, but lawmakers overruled her.

This year, House lawmakers agreed to pay for ETV indirectly, funneling money to it through several other state agencies that use its services – an approach that Haley has agreed to, said state Rep. Kenny Bingham, R-Lexington.

But state Sen. Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw, one of Haley’s chief rivals, amended the state’s $6.7 billion budget proposal last week for the fiscal year that starts July 1 to pay for ETV directly, setting up another possible veto fight.

“I don’t mind calling somebody’s bluff, but that’s not my goal here,” Sheheen told The State newspaper. “It’s important that we have accountability in the budget, and that we know what we are funding, and that the public can see it.

Moonshine still found in Orangeburg County

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:39 EDT

Orangeburg County deputies are looking for a Norway man who had a moonshine distillery in the woods near his home.

Deputies were investigating a complaint on Henry Road when they found five 55-gallon drums in the woods filled to the brim with corn mash that smelled of alcohol, Orangeburg County Sheriff Leroy Ravenell.

George Sean Wilson, the 37-year-old man who owns the property where the stills were found, is now wanted for possessing a liquor still.

“We are looking for Wilson and fully expect to arrest him soon,” Ravenell said.

―R. Darren Price

Burglary suspect leads Kershaw County deputies on high-speed chase (+ VIDEO)

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:40 EDT

Deputies in Kershaw County arrested a burglary suspect early Thursday morning after a seven-mile high-speed chase.

Deputies responded to a call that a man had broken into a Solo convenience store near Carolina Motorsports Track on U.S. 521 about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday A homeowner near the store heard an alarm and called 911. When deputies got there, they began purusing a car at the business. The driver, later identified as Jimmy Lee Parson, pushed his car’s speedometer over 100 miles per hour and rammed at least two Kershaw County patrol cars in an attempt to escaped.

Once deputies stopped the car, Parson, of Columbia, resisted arrest and was stunned by deputies. The 44-year-old wasn’t injured, and was taken into custody and charged with resisting arrest, failure to stop for blue lights, aggravated assault, driving under the influence, two counts of malicious injury to real property, and five counts of second-degree burglary. No one was injured in the chase.

“The officers involved in this chase and apprehension did a great job,” Kershaw County Sheriff Jim Matthews said. “I wish I could give them a raise.”

Deputies recognized the getaway vehicle used in the burglary at the convenience store as one connected burglaries at a fast-food restaurant, liquor store, laundromat and sandwich shop in Lugoff earlier on Wednesday. Parson is also wanted for questioning in Richland, Lexington and Fairfieldcounties for burglaries there, Matthews said. Parsons has prior burglary convictions and was on probation for a prior burglary conviction.

Sheriff’s department investigating fatal shooting

Thu, 24 May 2012 13:54 EDT

One man is dead after a fatal shooting Thursday afternoon in Lower Richland.

The shooting happened about 12:30 p.m. in the 3700 block of Baywater Dr., near Leesburg Road. A suspect is in custody, said Deputy Curtis Wilson, a Richland County Sheriff’s Department spokesman said.

Deputies were called to a disturbance at the home about 30 minutes prior to the shooting, Wilson said. They took a report, and the situation appeared to have been resolved.

But shortly after they left, the sheriff’s department received a call about shots fired in the neighborhood. The shooting was a result of an ongoing spat in the neighborhood, but investigators were still trying to determine what it was about, Wilson said.

This story is developing and will be updated as more information is available.

Man hospitalized in robbery

Thu, 24 May 2012 12:00 EDT

A man was hospitalized Wednesday night after being hit in the head with a handgun.

The man was outside in the 7500 block of Pell Street in the Hazelwood community about 10 p.m. when two men wearing ski masks approached him with guns drawn and demanded everything in his pockets, Richland County Sheriff's Department spokesman Curtis Wilson said. One of the robbers hit the man in the head with a gun, and then the two ran away before they could take anything.

The man was taken to Palmetto Health Richland, Curtis said, where his condition is unknown.

―R. Darren Price

Video a fundraising tool for SC governor (+ VIDEO)

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:32 EDT

Gov. Nikki Haley, angered by a video of a union leader in South Carolina bashing a pinata with her image on it, is using the incident to raise campaign cash.

Haley’s campaign sent an email Wednesday to supporters, asking them to watch a video that shows S.C. AFL-CIO president Donna Dewitt swinging a bat at a pinata with Haley’s image on it. The email then asked supporters to “show big labor we will not stand for their bullying” by donating $50 to $250 to Haley.

“We’re for civility in politics, the kind of civility President Obama has called for many times both before and since his inauguration,” Haley wrote in the email. “His allies in Big Labor are obviously not. They have tried to bully South Carolina businesses with Boeing and the NLRB, they have tried to silence me through frivolous lawsuits, and now this.”

The video, which is posted on the Internet and drew publicity nationally, was condemned by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin whose endorsement boosted Haley’s 2010 gubernatorial bid.

“It’s a perfect example of union boss thuggery,” Palin wrote of the video on her Facebook page.

Miami flair on Main Street

Wed, 23 May 2012 23:37 EDT

Main Street, which has seen resurgence in the arts and retail, is getting another boost in housing.

Developer Ben Arnold on Wednesday opened the doors of The Palms, a Miami-style apartment building in the old Rodeway Inn at the corner of Main and Lady streets.

The Palms is the second apartment development on Main Street to be built since the end of the worst recession in 80 years, joining the Lofts at Lourie’s above Mast General Store, which opened last fall. And a developer is working to turn the 21-story Palmetto Center into dorms for USC students.

Arnold’s resort-style complex – centered around its tropical pool, fitness room, concierge service and other urban amenities – is the latest incarnation of the next phase of downtown housing. The project features rental units marketed to young professionals rather than condos sold to retirees and empty nesters – a trend that was cut short as the recession raged in 2008 and 2009.

“The Millennials are coming of age and there’s a pent-up demand for housing among that demographic,” Arnold said of the 20-something professionals who are the main tenants for downtown housing. “They are coming out of school, and they want to get out of the house and live in urban areas.”

Ridgeview coach arrested for criminal sexual conduct

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:01 EDT

A Ridgeview High School coach accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student was arrested Wednesday morning.

Darrien Brown, 45, is charged with criminal sexual conduct with a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Deputies arrested the man on North Main Street after the school received a tip that a coach at the school was having an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old female student. Brown is an assistant track and field coach and a linebacker coach with the football team, according to the school's website.

Deputies accuse Brown of picking up the student April 27 and taking her to his Blythewood home. Once there, deputies say, he engaged in some sort of sexual act with her.

Brown is being held at Alvin S. Glenn Detention center on a $60,000 surety bond.

Investigators suspect that Brown might be involved in other inappropriate relationships with children and is asking victims of abuse to come forward by contacting Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC or www.sccrimestoppers.com.

5 arrested in LexCo meth lab bust

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:02 EDT

A black bag with three vessels containing chemicals used in manufacturing methamphetamine led Lexington County Sheriff's Department investigators to bust an illegal drug lab.

Officers found the bag on the front porch of a home on Longview Street in Lexington, according to a report released Wednesday by the Lexington County Sheriff's Department.

The bust, which led to five arrests, was conducted by the Lexington County Multi-Agency Narcotics Enforcement Team.

Officers also seized a small amount of methamphetamine.

Officers had been called to the home about 8:53 p.m. to investigate a report of a clandestine methamphetamine lab. Once there, officers smelled a strong chemical odor that is indicative of a methamphetamine lab, the sheriff's report said.

Matters of Faith, May 19

Thu, 24 May 2012 10:52 EDT

THIS WEEK

ANTIOCH BAPTIST CHURCH: Women’s Day service, 11 a.m. Sunday, 5715 Koon Road. Guest speaker Patty Jaye Garrett Patterson. (803) 786-0119

ASHLAND UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Book Club, 4 p.m. Sunday, 2600 Ashland Road. (803) 798-5350

BETH SHALOM SYNAGOGUE: “A Walk Down Memory Lane,” a celebration honoring all congregants who have been members for 50 or more years, 5-7 p.m. Sunday,5827 N. Trenholm Road. (803) 782-2500

CHRISTIAN LIFE CHURCH: Kingsmen Breakfast, 8-10 a.m. today, 2700 Bush River Road. Guest speaker is Gary Shull. Suggested donations, $3-$5(803) 798-4488; www.christianlife

S.C. worst in doctor discipline

Wed, 23 May 2012 21:20 EDT

A national advocacy group has declared South Carolina as worst in the nation at reprimanding physicians, but the leader of the state Board of Medical Examiners refutes those findings.

South Carolina has consistently been among the bottom 10 states at disciplining doctors for each of the past nine annual rankings by Public Citizen’s Health Research Group. The study found South Carolina has taken serious disciplinary actions – defined as revocations, surrenders, suspensions or probations – against only 1.33 doctors per 1,000 annually in the past three years. The only others with fewer than two disciplinary actions per 1,000 annually over the past three years were the District of Columbia (1.47), Minnesota (1.49), Massachusetts (1.66), Connecticut (1.82) and Wisconsin (1.9). The state with the best record, according to Public Citizen, is Wyoming with 6.79 serious disciplinary actions per 1,000 physicians.

The national average was 3.06 based on Public Citizen’s analysis of medical board data from all states and the District of Columbia. That’s up 3 percent from last year but still down 18 percent from the peak rate of discipline in 2004 of 3.72 per 1,000 physicians.

“There is considerable evidence that most boards are inadequately disciplining physicians,” said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group. “Action must be taken, legislatively and through public pressure on medical boards themselves, to increase the amount of discipline, and thus, the amount of patient protection.”

Dr. Louis E. Costa II, president of the S.C. Board of Medical Examiners, said the study is flawed in many ways.