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Fowler: I made choice long ago not to seek three terms (AUDIO)

July 6, 2010 By

State Democratic Party Chair Carol Fowler says she will not seek another term. Fowler has led the party for two terms and will not go for a third next Spring. But Fowler says that’s what she has said all along, that she would only keep the office for two terms.  Fowler says some media outlets have presented this as a new announcement, but she says it’s not. She says her decision was made long ago and in no way is connected to criticism of the party following the election of Democratic Senate candidate Alvin Greene. Fowler asserts she did not support Greene’s in the race.

Greene faces criminal charges for allegedly showing pornographic images to a USC student, and requested indigent defense in the case. That prompted the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to investigate how Greene came up with the $10,440 he paid to get his name on the ballot.

To answer the criticism that Fowler should have done more to prevent Greene from becoming the party’s candidate, Fowler says there was nothing she or the party could have done.

AUDIO: Fowler on not running again (1:03)

Fowler says if Vincent Sheheen wins the governor’s race, as a Democratic governor, he will recommend a new party leader.  Fowler is optimistic  about Sheheen’s chances.

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government

State officials continue to cultivate forestry industry impacts

July 6, 2010 By

More of South Carolina is covered with standing timberland – than since colonial times. That’s can be good news for the state’s economy- says State Forester Gene Kodama.  The SC Forestry Commission, a state agency, and the SC Forestry Association, a private organization made up of industry leaders and landowners, are partnering to move forestry’s economic impact from $17 billion to $20 billion by the year 2015. They are calling this the “20/15 project.”

Commission spokesman Scott Hawkins says “forestry is big business in this state” :

But it needs to be tended to, especially in times of economic strife that we’ve seen. One area of emphasis is retaining and strengthening the forest industry, utilizing our record high levels of timber volume that we have in this state. We have more standing timber now than we have had at any other time in our recorded history.

Getting the impact to $20 billion a year would create an extra 12,000 well-paying jobs, according to industry advocates, who are now holding a series of conferences to grow this aspect of  agribusiness which is considered the state’s top manufacturing sector when it comes to jobs and salaries. At the same time, the forestry agency’s money has been cut 45 percent in the past two years. 

State Forester Kodama says regarding protection of  timberland–and lives—that the state is at very high risk: [Read more...]

Filed Under: Agriculture, Business, News

Officials seek to clear the air on Newberry murder investigation (AUDIO)

July 6, 2010 By

On June 2, Winnsboro native Anthony Hill, an African American, was shot to death and his body tied to the back of truck and dragged 10 miles on a rural Newberry County road. Hill’s fellow employee at the Louis Rich Plant in Newberry, Gregory Collins, was arrested for the crime and charged with murder. Collins is white.

The heinous crime continues to send shock waves through the county. To shed light on the investigation, the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office, the State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will be holding a community meeting at Newberry High School Thursday at 6 p.m.  Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster says the outrage resulting from to the crime has led to misinformation. Foster says because the investigation is ongoing, officials at the meeting will not be discussing specifics about the case. The FBI has also been looking into the case as a possible hate crime.

AUDIO: Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster (1:57)

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, News

‘Homes for Haiti’ leaves Georgetown port to help victims (AUDIO)

July 6, 2010 By

Volunteers loading temporary homes onto MV Integrity from Port of GeorgetownThe MV Integrity left the Port of Georgetown this afternoon to supply about 180 homes for Haitians devastated by January’s earthquake, from which the tiny island is still trying to recover.

They are $600 a home. For $600 we buy the material, we assemble the wall panels, we bring it to the port here in Georgetown. We put it on the ship, take it to Haiti and put it up. Nobody gets paid.

Virginia-based “Christ in Action” is a non-profit organization heading up the effort to provide approximately 500 homes. Dr. Denny Nissley is the organizer for “Homes for Haiti,” and said he saw a need for housing when he visited earlier this year, so he put that need into action. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Accidents & Disasters, Environment & Conservation, News

Watchdog group wants audit of election results (AUDIO)

July 6, 2010 By

A watchdog group in South Carolina has filed a complaint in federal court focused on requiring the state to preserve its voting records in federal elections. The Progressive Network is also working to arrange an audit of the entire June 8th primary.

Progressive Network Director Brett Bursey says the results of two federal elections, the one for U.S. Senate and Congressional District 1, were anomalous, meaning that there is a minimal chance that they would have come out that way.

AUDIO: Bursey on voting machines (:59)

But Bursey says when the primary’s votes are audited, he’s not sure what will be found, because the type of voting machine South Carolina has can only be audited for irregularities, and recounts don’t really mean anything.

Bursey says South Carolina is one of only eight states that uses paper-less, touch-screen devices that are not routinely audited. Thirty-three states now require a “voter verified paper ballot” that can be referred to in the event of a recount or audit.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: News, Politics & Government
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