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Hells Angels president cries as he pleads for mercy in federal court

At first, the Hells Angels biker appeared defiant as he was led into a courtroom at the Matthew J. Perry Federal Courthouse in Columbia.

The U.S. Attorneys Office in Columbia on Wednesday displayed an array of firearms, drugs and jackets confiscated from the Hells Angels group operating out of Lexington and Rock Hill.

Lexington-Richland 5 board gives itself big pay raise

The board approved a new salary of $9,600 late Monday, making members among the highest paid statewide.

Probation for Columbia man convicted of animal cruelty

A 61-year-old former Lee County resident told a circuit court judge on Tuesday that more than 1,000 animals who suffered under his care in 2009 and 2010 “were not kept in any more cruel conditions than (he) was.”

Columbia police ask again: Please take crime survey

Columbia police, having mailed out thousands of circulars in recent weeks asking citizens to take a crime survey, are mailing out more to residents this week.

Images from Miss SC USA's visit State House

Megan Pinckney, who came in fifth runner-up in the Miss USA pageant, visits the State House Wednesday. Pinckney she works as a legislative aide for...

Miss SC USA Megan Pinckney and Gov. Nikki Haley

Politics

House committee takes up tough Gowdy immigration bill

A key committee in the Republican-led House moved Tuesday toward approving a tough enforcement-focused immigration bill, over objections from Democrats...

House Judiciary Committee member Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., sponsor of the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act, left, talks with Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, June 18, 2013, prior to the start of the committee's hearing to discuss the Strengthen and Fortify Enforcement Act. The committee in the Republican-led House is preparing to cast its first votes on immigration this year, on a tough enforcement-focused measure that Democrats and immigrant groups are protesting loudly.

S.C. House and Senate adopt more than $22 billion spending plan

Hundreds of millions in road money, relief for state employees facing rising health insurance premiums, private-school choice and expansion of the state’s 4-year-old kindergarten program are highlights of what taxpayers are getting in the...

SC political briefs, June 19

S.C. budget vote set for Wednesday

SC review finds ‘questionable’ stats, other ills in S.C. First Steps

S.C. First Steps uses “questionable statistics” to show it helps children succeed in school, over- and underfunded various county partnerships...

Kiley Nelson reads and plays with Peyton and Jaiden Seabrooks at the Early Head Start program at Ridgewood Missionary Baptist Church in Columbia Tuesday afternoon.

After public hearings, DHEC sticks with its suggestion on food stamp restrictions

After hearing all the pros and cons during several months of public input, the state health department has recommended that South Carolina apply for...

Nutritionist Laura Stepp explains how to eat healthy and stay on a budget. Is healthy food more expensive than junk food? That's one of the arguments against using food stamp restrictions to encourage healthier eating. People on food stamps already struggle to feed their families. Making them buy more expensive food would worsen the situation. Or would it?

Opinion Columns

Mason: Nickelodeon adding to downtown rebirth

In the early 1980s, Providence, R.I., was littered with vacant buildings, crime was high, and students at the local universities were told to not ...

Samuelson: Is the wealth effect that once boosted the economy dead?

In the economic history of our time, June 6, 2013, ought to occupy a special place. That's the day the Federal Reserve disclosed that the net worth...

Sports

Heat force Game 7 with 103-100 OT win over Spurs

When LeBron James' greatness almost wasn't good enough, officials began preparing for a San Antonio celebration.

Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) drives to the basket as San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan (21) and guard Manu Ginobili (20) of Argentina defend during the first half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs, Tuesday, June 18, 2013 in Miami. The Heat defeated the Spurs 103-100 in overtime.

Former Heathwood star Kristen Dickerson to coach Ben Lippen girls basketball

Four years ago, Kristen Dickerson was a star on the basketball court during her senior season at Heathwood Hall.

DWYRE: Why do so many love to hate Phil Mickelson?

THE ONLY THING more baffling than Phil Mickelson’s inability to finish the deal in a U.S. Open is the delight so...

Phil Mickelson tips his hat to fans as he makes his way up the 18th fairway during the final day of the U.S. Open on Sunday.

Braves swept out at home

ATLANTA - Two Georgia boys had a big night Tuesday at Turner Field, but did it at the expense of the Braves.

"Birdman" talks Game 6 win

Miami Heat's Chris "Birdman" Andersen speaks about the Heat's win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 on June 18, 2013.

Living

Cooks Calendar

Restaurant apps, grocery store tours, culinary camps for kids and more

18 mayors: Limit use of food stamps to buy soda

The mayors of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and 15 other cities are reviving a push against letting food stamps be used to buy soda and other sugary...

FILE - In this March 12, 2013 file photo, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg looks at a 64-ounce cup, as Lucky's Cafe owner Greg Anagnostopoulos, left, stands behind him, during a news conference at the cafe in New York. The mayors of New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and 15 other cities are reviving a push against letting government food vouchers be used to buy soda and other sugary drinks. In a letter to congressional leaders Tuesday, the mayors say its time to test and evaluate approaches limiting the use of the subsidies for sugar-laden beverages.

Local book events, 6/16-6/22

Books-A-Million hosts a book signing with the authors of “Paparazzi Princesses,” Friday. Call ahead for tickets and copies of the book...

5 religious facts you might not know about Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass, whose seven-foot bronze statue was unveiled at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday (June 19), is known as the father of the civil rights...

Supreme Court marriage rulings: Anything but simple

If the range of possible Supreme Court rulings on gay marriage this month requires a scorecard, the potential confusion arising from those decisions may demand a manual.

Entertainment

Images from Miss SC USA's visit State House

Megan Pinckney, who came in fifth runner-up in the Miss USA pageant, visits the State House Wednesday. Pinckney she works as a legislative aide for...

How to use summer herbs

Browse our photo gallery to find out great uses for summer herbs

CHERVIL: Keep it in the warmest place in your refrigerator, wrapped in lightly dampened paper towels.

Use lots of chervil to garnish salads, along with chopped parsley and chive.

Fold it into a compound butter, but make sure the chervil doesnât get overwhelmed. Try a mixture of about 2 ounces of the herb with a generous amount of shallot, salt and a few drops of lemon juice to help bring the flavor through the fat.

Make it the base of a salsa verde, or create a green oil by processing a bunch of chervil to a paste and adding it to oil. Leave in the pulp or strain it out.

Puree it with spinach for a side dish.
Sprinkle it into a beurre blanc.
TIP Chervil is all about the finish. Donât put it in a cooked dish early.
By Jeff Black, chef-restaurateur of the Black Restaurant Group.

Woman stabbed, killed on Hollywood's Walk of Fame

Police in Los Angeles say they've arrested three panhandlers in the fatal stabbing of a young woman who was taking photographs on Hollywood's star-lined "Walk of Fame."

Sammy Hagar to join Okla. tornado relief concert

Former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar is joining a star-studded country music concert planned to benefit victims of last month's deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma.

Alternative comic books co-publisher dies

Kim Thompson, co-publisher of influential Seattle-based publisher Fantagraphics Books - known for celebrated alternative comics, graphic novels and comic strip anthologies - has died.