South Carolina News and Sports
Part-time artists in the Upstate will have a chance to better promote themselves and their art under a new federal grant.
The US Department of Agriculture announced two new grants for South Carolina as part of its Rural Business Enterprise Grants program. One, a $90,000 award, will allow a local crafts gallery to search across the Upstate for part-time and hobby artists to help them better promote themselves and their products.
A special election was held yesterday for Lee County sheriff and the District 4 council seat races. Acting Sheriff Daniel Simon won the unopposed race held Tuesday. Simon has been acting sheriff since E.J. Melvin was arrested on federal drug conspiracy charges May 1st. Simon won a five-way Democratic Primary in July but faced no Republican opposition.
In the special re-vote for the District 4 Lee County Council seat, Gordon Eckley beat out Matt Bramlett with a vote of 68 to 32. Initially Bramlett defeated Eckley, but it was determined that only 111 of 242 votes cast were actually District 4 residents resulting in those votes being thrown out and a re-vote ordered by the South Carolina Democratic Party.
One hundred votes were cast in Tuesday’s special election.
North Charleston becomes first in the state where residents can track area crime, online. Not exactly social media. Instead it’s using online media to track anti-social activities. North Charleston Police Chief Jon Zumalt says the police department is the first in South Carolina to partner with Colorado-based Bair Software to offer online mapping of the city’s crimes. With this mapping, residents will be able to log-on to the city’s website and view offenses in their neighborhoods.
Zumalt told the Post and Courier the goal is to increase awareness and vigilance in the community. As for cost, the web service doesn’t cost the city any money, as the mapping is free to law enforcement. Residents will also be able to sign up to receive e-mail alerts about crime happening in the area.
The number of vacant homes in the U.S. has risen from 14 million in 2008 to 19 million the first quarter of 2010. The Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) says it’s important that property owners take measures to protect vacant homes or businesses.
Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO says property protection measures are crucial for vacant buildings. IBHS provides guidance to property owners taking care of vacant homes.
A group of state senators began a series of meetings Tuesday to consider all of the state’s public education funding. One focus of the Select Committee on K-12 Funding will be Act 388, a controversial bill passed by state lawmakers in 2006 which removed school operating taxes from owner-occupied homes and replaced them with an additional one-cent sales tax.
The new committee is chaired by York County Republican Wes Hayes. He says it looks like Act 388 is here to stay. Various lawmakers have promised to replace the bill. Others say the state’s entire tax structure needs to be redone.
Hayes says the Education Finance Act, or EFA, dates back to 1977.
AUDIO Hayes talks about education funding, Act 388 (2:00)
Lawmakers voted to temporarily give school districts more flexibility so that they can better spend the limited resources they have. Senator Hayes says one thing his committee may do is make that flexibility permanent.
