February 10, 2012

Sanford defends travel practices

Governor Mark Sanford responded Tuesday to recent allegations that he misused the state plane. He said it was basically a politically-driven feeding frenzie.
Concerning allegations that he used a plane to fly to a hair salon at Myrtle Beach and a dentist appointment, Sanford said those were notes in state files taken out of context. He said the hair cut was an $11 drop-in visit to a local discount barber shop which he made during extra time on a business trip.

“I did wrong, I messed up, and there are consequences,” said Sanford.  “But what you can’t do is create a feeding frenzy where every practice, that may have been employed for 20 years, and no other governor faced that question.  The Department of Commerce arranges the trips.  I don’t think you should have one standard for this governor, separate from other governorships in the past, and separate from the standards of other state agencies.”    [Read more...]

Newberry family accused of beating grandfather who allegedly molested children

Newberry County authorities say a man was beaten by his family after admitting that he sexually assaulted his grandchildren.

Newberry Police Officers said they were taking a prisoner into the county’s detention center when they spotted a man in the parking lot, being let out of a car, who had been badly beaten. The officers called for an ambulance and then contacted the Sheriff’s Office. Investigators say 54-year-old Terry Hugh Gibbs’ children assaulted him after he admitted that he had sexually assaulted three of his grandchildren, ages 10 and younger. [Read more...]

Drake announces gubernatorial bid

Attorney and statehouse lobbyist Dwight Drake has announced a run for Governor as a Democrat.

Drake says he led efforts to bring BMW to South Carolina, resulting in 15,000 new jobs, and to protect public school funding.

Drake says it’s time to get South Carolina working again. “What will be eight years with Mark Sanford will have been wasted.  We simply can’t waste any more time.  Governor Sanford has made a lot of news with the vacations and so forth, but the real problem I have is that from the beginning of his term he has been completely AWOL.” 

Drake says the state needs his experience.  “I know what it takes to bring jobs to South Carolina.  I worked with Governor Campbell and later Governor Hodges on the BMW expansion, and with Governor Campbell when they came here to start with.”   

Drake says he also worked with Governor Riley and Governor West.  [Read more...]

ESC director steps down after 38 years of service

Roosevelt Ted Halley will be stepping down after 38 years with The Employment Security Commission. He served as Executive Director of the agency since December of 2002. The commission says they will now put together a transition team, and that will include Mr. Halley, to consider a successor. They are commending him for his many years of dedicated service and wish him luck. However, ESC Commissioner, Becky Richardson told WIS TV she had concerns with Halley’s performance and if he had not stepped down it;’s very possible he “would have been fired”.

Governor responds to recent investigations

Governor Mark Sanford is responding to a recent AP investigation that accused him of misusing state aircraft for personal trips, such as hair and dental appointments. Tuesday, the governor was on Charleston affiliate WTMA’s Rocky D talk show and said a reporter who quoted the governor flying from Myrtle Beach to Columbia for a haircut was not entirely accurate.

“Why in the world would you get on a plane to fly from Myrtle Beach back to Columbia to go to Great Clips–is the name of the place–you can get a haircut there for $11. It is not a hair salon, in which is was described in the paper, and they don’t take appointments. Now, why would you schedule a flight to get to a place that doesn’t take appointments so you could sit in the little cube with everybody?,” says Sanford.

Sanford says he was there for professional matters, but stopped by Great Clips to get a haircut while there. [Read more...]