From the daily archives:

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is now in control of the case of the ammonia leak that killed a woman in Lexington County Wednesday morning. South Carolina officials say 38-year-old Jacqueline Patrice Ginyard of Wagener died after she drove through a toxic cloud released from Tanner Industries. Witnesses say the woman’s car stalled and she fell after getting out to run away.

Officials held a press briefing in Columbia last night. Assistant Investigator Bob Trainor says the gas was released from a hole in a line being used to transfer the liquid from a truck to a tank. He says ammonia gas is deadly because it’s a highly alkaline chemical which can immediately damage the inside of the lungs. 

“It’s similar to acidic action on the lungs except it’s an alkaline material.  It does tremendous damage to the respiratory track including the lungs,” says Trainor.  [click to continue…]

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Graham supports Clyburn nomination for FCC

by William Christopher 07/16/09 8:52 PM

The Senate next week will vote whether to confirm Democrat Mignon Clyburn and Republican Meredith Attwell Baker to the Federal Communications Commission. Observers say they expect both women to be confirmed.
During a Senate hearing  last week, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina introduced and pledged his support for Mignon Clyburn’s nomination. Clyburn was nominated [...]

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Sotomayor questioning continues, Graham concerned about firefighter ruling

by William Christopher 07/16/09 5:06 PM

Today has been the fourth day of U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor.Frank Ricci, the white firefighter from Connecticut who recently won his reverse discrimination case at the Supreme Court level, said today that an unfavorable ruling by Sotomayor and other Appeals Court judges in New York divides people along racial lines.
Senate Judiciary [...]

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Alleged child killer’s arraignment moved

by William Christopher 07/16/09 3:51 PM

The court arraignment has been canceled today for the man who allegedly killed an 8-year-old girl last week.  The Spartanburg County magistrate’s office says Ricky Blackwell’s arraignment has been canceled for today. Blackwell was released from the Spartanburg Regional Medical Center Wednesday after recovering from a gunshot wound to the stomach which authorities say was [...]

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Stimulus helping highways, but much work left to do

by Ashley Byrd 07/16/09 3:28 PM

A total of $463 million in federal stimulus funds is slated for South Carolina for highway projects.
While there is debate over whether stimulus money is helping the states, South Carolina state highway engineers say these federal funds are helping to bring the state’s highway systems up to date.
Tony Shepard, state traffic operations engineer with SCDOT, says one of those [...]

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