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Columbia police chief ousted over accident investigation

May 10, 2010 By

Columbia Chief of Police Tandy Carter

Columbia Police Chief Tandy Carter’s term as the capital city’s leading peace officer ends after only two years. Carter was fired Monday.  City Manager Steve Gantt made known Carter’s termination Monday morning via e-mail. Gantt noted that he was making the move in what he called ” the best interest of the city.” Gantt and members of Columbia City Council have been critical of Carter’s handling the investigation of the April 21 wreck involving Mayor-elect Steve Benjamin and hotel employee Deborah Rubens who remains hospitalized with serious injuries.

Carter did not follow the wishes of council members who wanted to bring in an outside law enforcement agency in order to remove, in their view, a possible conflict of interest. Appearing in a hastily called press conference just before noon and still wearing his uniform, Carter said their is no conflict of interest in his view.

As a sworn constitutional officer of the state, whether it’s me or anybody else that wears the uniform, we don’t have allegiance to individuals, we have allegiance to the constitution, we have allegiance to the state code, we have an allegiance to the municipal code. There is no room for interpretation of any other conflict of interest.

When asked by a reporter if his press conference was a way of telling the city council to quote “take this job and shove it,”  Carter retorted that he was simply acting as a professional. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, News, Politics & Government

Spartanburg County escapee considered dangerous

May 10, 2010 By

Authorities say a man who escaped from custody in Spartanburg County Monday should be considered dangerous. The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office and Cowpens Police Department are searching for Jason Will Williams. He was arrested in March for a series of charges in connection with an armed robbery and he was later charged with a home invasion of an elderly couple that occurred a month earlier, among other charges. 

Spartanburg Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Ivey says Williams was last seen wearing an orange detention center jumpsuit.  He is a 30-year-old white male, 190 pounds, slender build, with dark hair and dark eyes.  Williams escaped while he was being transported from Cowpens municipal court following a hearing. 

The Sheriff’s Office is providing additional manpower, a K-9 team and an airplane to assist in the search.  Ivey says if you see Williams, leave him alone and call 9-1-1.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Education department cuts 80 employees

May 10, 2010 By

The State Education Department laid off 80 employees last week. State Superintendent Jim Rex explains why: “For over two years we have now taken 45 percent cut in the operating budget at the state agency level. About a 25 percent cut in the school district. Personnel is a big part of the education budget. I guess when you see that bad of a cut, unfortunately you expect for people to certainly start losing jobs, and that’s certainly what’s been going on in the last two years,” says Rex.

Rex says much of the downturn in the school system’s budget is due to a sales tax decrease because people are not buying as much. As for the 80 employees now without a job, Rex says they were cut from a variety of different positions in the department.

“It ranges from the audit functions, to working with technology in the public schools, supporting teachers, training teachers, curriculum, you name it. It’s kind of a ‘catch 22′ right now because the schools are losing lots of teachers also,” says Rex.

Besides the recent 80 cuts in the State Education Department, Rex breaks down the number of teachers, in addition, that are to be laid off. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Economy, Education, News, Politics & Government

Sen. Graham clears the air on energy bill

May 10, 2010 By

Congress and South Carolina constituents have been uncertain about where Senator Lindsey Graham stands on a bill he once championed. In April, Senator Graham stepped away from an energy bill helped negotiate—because the White House did not seem to take it, or his participation, seriously enough.

The measure, co-sponsored with Democrat John Kerry and Independent Joe Leiberman, faced an uphill battle without a Republican signed on.

The tri-partisan bill replaces a House-passed cap and trade bill that Graham says is dead.

Now, a massive oil spill gunking up the Gulf of Mexico adds to the Sen. Graham’s skepticism: “When it comes to getting 60 votes for legislation that includes additional oil and gas drilling with revenue sharing, the climb has gotten steeper because of the oil spill.”

Graham has decided, “In light of this, I believe it would be wise to pause the process and reassess where we stand.”

In a statement released late last week, Graham said:

As a Senator from a coastal state, and in light of the historic oil spill off the coast of Louisiana, I think it makes sense to find out what happened, enact safety measures to prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future, and then build consensus for the expanded offshore drilling our nation needs.

He stands by his statement that the EPA should not do the regulating of clean air, Congress should. But Graham is clear that the political climate is not conducive to pass an energy bill. In fact..he says “this has become impossible.”

To date, environmental and retired military members who have been lobbying for the bill say they will continue their efforts, with or without Graham as a spokesman.

Filed Under: Energy, Environment & Conservation, News, Politics & Government

Sanford expected to veto cig tax increase (AUDIO)

May 10, 2010 By

Governor Sanford is expected to veto the 50-cent-per-pack cigarette tax increase that House and Senate leaders ratified Thursday. Governor Mark Sanford’s calender indicates that he plans a press conference Tuesday concerning the increase.

Oconee County Republican Thomas Alexander is a strong supporter of a cigarette tax increase.  He says increasing the tax will prevent more than 20-thousand South Carolina teenagers from smoking.

Alexander says he doesn’t buy the argument put forth by lawmakers from border counties who have said that increasing the tax would hurt many convenience stores by running off their out-of-state business, and in turn hurt tax revenues.  Alexander says Georgia has a 37-cent cigarette tax and North Carolina has a 45-cent tax. He says as those cigarette taxes rose to their current level, South Carolina merchants saw no increase in their business.

(Alexander on tax veto  MP3  1:18)
Alexander on veto

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Legislature, News
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