Blue Alerts, earthquakes and Susan Smith: Catch up on South Carolina news

Late-night phone alerts, back-to-back earthquakes and a notorious parole bid are among the stories making news across South Carolina. Here’s a quick look at the top stories from The State on April 21, 2026.

Here are key takeaways:

• Blue Alert woke up South Carolina: SLED issued a Blue Alert after 10:30 p.m. Monday after a Springfield police officer was injured in a shooting in the Blackville area of Barnwell County. The suspect, Lacey Cushman, was taken into custody before midnight.

• Two earthquakes hit in under two hours: A 2.3 magnitude earthquake struck near Winnsboro in Fairfield County at 5:18 a.m. Tuesday, followed by a 1.7 magnitude quake in the Gayle Mill area of Chester County at 6:44 a.m. The tremors bring South Carolina’s earthquake count to 16 this year.

• Susan Smith seeks parole again: Smith, convicted of drowning her two sons in Union in 1994, has applied for parole for a second time. Her new hearing is scheduled for Nov. 19, 2026, two years after the board unanimously denied her first request.

• USC’s board of trustees is full again: The General Assembly elected Richard Bonnoitt of Florence and Frederick “Schipp” Johnston of Murrells Inlet to fill seats that had been vacant on the university’s governing board since 2022.

• Riding in a truck bed in SC? Know the rules: Adults and teens over 16 can legally ride in an open truck bed, but transporting anyone under 15 in an open bed is a misdemeanor under South Carolina law.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.