May 19, 2013

You are here: Home / 2012 / Archives for March 2012

Orangeburg mother sentenced to 35 years for killing two sons

March 30, 2012 by

A judge has sentenced an Orangeburg mother to 35 years in prison Friday after she admitted killing her two young sons before staging their death by driving her car into a nearby river.

Shaquan Duley pleaded guilty earlier this month for the murder of 2-year-old Devean and 18-month-old Ja’van. Circuit Judge Edgar Dickson said he considered that in her sentencing.

“After considering everything, including the murder of these two children, your children, by… the person who had the obligation to protect them above all others, this court does not believe that the minimum sentence is appropriate,” Judge Dickson told Duley during Friday’s hearing.

Duley received two sentences of 35 years each, to be served concurrently. She will get credit for the nearly two years she has already served. She has 10 days to appeal her sentence.

The case received national attention in August 2010 after investigators said Duley smothered her sons, put them into her car and drove it into the Edisto River.

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Featured, News

Legislative Update: March 30

March 30, 2012 by

Headlines from the SC State Capitol:

Rep. Nelson Hardwick (R-Surfside Beach) introduces his granddaughter to different members of the General Assembly Thursday

–Occupy Columbia protestors will no longer be able to camp on the Statehouse grounds after Gov. Nikki Haley signed into law a ban on camping and sleeping there. Haley wasted little time Thursday, signing the document only hours after it cleared the House. A small group of protesters returned last week when a temporary 90-day camping ban expired.

–The House passed a bill that would take away jobless benefits for unemployed workers who fail an employer’s drug test. The bill would not require drug tests for those receiving unemployment insurance, but it would take the benefits away if the worker loses an opportunity at a job because they failed a company test. Opponents called it an “indignity” for those who have fallen on hard times. The bill now goes to the Senate.

–Meanwhile, the Senate sent to the House a bill by Sen. Jake Knotts (R-Lexington) that would create the crime of “vehicular homicide.” That is defined as a person who violates a driving law and causes a fatal accident as a result of their negligence. It would create a $1,000 fine and up to 30 days in prison. Opponents said it was wrong to send a person to jail for a driving mistake. The bill passed 39-3.

–The House also passed legislation that would allow state colleges to ban smoking on their campuses. With five universities and nine technical schools already having campus bans, supporters say it clarifies state law to protect those schools from a legal challenge. Opponents complained that it infringes on the legal ability of a person to smoke. The bill passed 88-12 and now goes to the Senate.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Legislature, News, Politics & Government

Friday’s weather

March 30, 2012 by

Mostly cloudy skies for the Upstate to partly cloudy skies for the Lowcountry for your Friday. Highs will range from the upper 70s for the Upstate to the low 80s for the Lowcountry. The best chance for showers will be in the Upstate. Look for a few showers overnight with lows in the upper 50s to low 60s.

Weather reports are provided by South Carolina Radio Network staff meteorologist, Tom Crawford (from WCIV-TV, Charleston).

Filed Under: Weather

Unemployed could lose benefits for failing drug test

March 29, 2012 by

The South Carolina House passed a bill Thursday that would end unemployment benefits for workers who test positive for drugs.

Under the legislation by Rep. Eddie Tallon (R-Spartanburg), the state would not require drug tests in order to receive unemployment benefits, but it would take the data from companies that already do the tests when they hire new employees. If a prospective employee fails or refuses to take a test, the Department of Employment and Workforce could cut off their benefits, barring an appeal.

The bill next heads to the Senate after the 70-24 vote. Seven Democrats joined Republicans to support the proposed changes. 13 other Democrats (and 6 Republicans) did not vote.

“We’re having companies all over the state of South Carolina that are offering people jobs,” Tallon said, “And when (new hires) can’t pass the drug test, all they do is go back and continue to draw their unemployment insurance. It’s not right.”

Tallon said state law requires those receiving unemployment benefits to be “willing and able” to work. He pointed out a worker is already ineligible for benefits if they lose their job after failing a drug test.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Business, Featured, Legislature, News

As school choice bill passes, both sides lament “nasty” politics

March 29, 2012 by

The South Carolina House of Representatives on Thursday sent to the Senate a bill that would offer tax deductions for parents who send their children to private schools.

Rep. Mike Anthony (D-Union) decried the "nasty" politics that have plagued the school choice issue over the past decade (File)

It has been a battle for the past eight years between those who say the tax breaks offer a ticket out for kids stuck in struggling schools and those who say the lost tax revenue hurts public education. First supporters pushed for school vouchers– in which the state government covers part of private school tuition. After that failed, school choice supporters tried again with tax credits, rather than actual vouchers. One such bill failed by a single vote in the House last year.

This year, supporters offered a version that offered tax deductions instead. A 65-49 vote Wednesday marked the first time a so-called “school choice” had passed either the House or Senate.

“It’s huge, as far as I’m concerned,” said Rep. Eric Bedingfield (R-Mauldin), who has been one of the bill’s most vocal supporters.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Education, Legislature, News, Politics & Government
«Older Posts
Newer Posts»