May 21, 2012

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Heritage golf tournament brings boost to SC economy

April 9, 2012 By

The golf related business boost for South Carolina continues this week with the start of the RBC Heritage tournament on Hilton Head Island.

Thousands of spectators are expected to fill hotels and restaurants throughout the Lowcountry for the 44th annual Heritage.

The tournament has an estimated economic impact of $82 million on the state.

An additional $22 million in tournament proceeds has been donated to local and regional charities since 1987, including $2.7 million in college scholarships.

The tournament went unsponsored last year, causing many to question the future of the event in South Carolina.

However, a five year sponsorship deal with the Royal Bank of Canada and Boeing was announced last June.

Last week, businesses in the Midlands experienced one of their busiest weeks of the year during the Masters tournament.

Filed Under: Business, Economy, News, Recreation & Entertainment

Lawmakers looking to ease hunting restructions on hogs, coyotes

April 4, 2012 By

The South Carolina House of Representatives will soon take up a bill that would allow hunters to use almost any means necessary to shoot wild hogs, coyotes, and armadillos in the spring.

Courtesy: SCDNR

Rep. Phillip Lowe (R-Florence) is sponsoring legislation that would remove restrictions on night hunting for the non-native species. It would also allow the use of bait, artificial light, and night-vision devices while hunting the animals from March to July. The bill cleared committee last week and will be on the House agenda when it returns from furlough on April 17.

Wild hogs annually cause tens of millions of dollars in damage to crops, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. The animals have long been a pest in the eyes of wildlife officials since they began escaping from private hunting reserves in the early 1900s. However, the number of hogs really began to explode over the past 20 years.

“We have not been able to, through current means, thin the herd out enough to prevent that destruction,” Lowe said.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Agriculture, Environment & Conservation, Legislature, News, Recreation & Entertainment

Organizers apologize for problems that plagued Cooper River run

April 4, 2012 By

Anyone who participated in Saturday’s Cooper River bridge run in Charleston is getting a special apology email from organizers.

The email from the run’s board of directors apologizes for the problems that plagued the 35th Annual Cooper River Bridge Run. The email acknowledges that the problems were “unprecedented” after the start was delayed by an hour due to bus problems. Runners said the organizers also ran out of food and water at the end of the race.

The email finishes with a pledge that whatever caused Saturday’s problems would be remedied in time for next year’s race. “Until we determine exactly what happened, it is all speculation and rumor and it would be irresponsible for us to act on anything other than facts,” the email stated, “The board and staff are meeting this week to work on confirming the causes of the delay and to work on and develop appropriate solutions.”

The annual Cooper River Bridge Run grows every year and attracts runners from all over the country and the world. More than 43,000 participated in Saturday’s race.

Sheree Bernardi of Charleston affiliate WTMA contributed to this report

Filed Under: Featured, Health & Medicine, News, Recreation & Entertainment

More than 225 students arrested at Carolina Cup

April 3, 2012 By

A popular steeplechase race event in Camden was marred Saturday by some extracurricular activities that resulted in the arrests of over 225 students this past weekend.

A rite of spring in South Carolina is the Carolina Cup– considered one of the elite equestrian events in the entire Southeast. However, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) deputies say the event was marred by underage drinking, fights, and dangerous levels of intoxication. Sheriff Jim Matthews said 225 students were arrested Saturday at the event’s College Park area, compared to only 8 outside the section that hosts mostly students.

“The Cup is actually a very fine event… for the most part, it’s a well-behaved crowd that comes out to watch the horses and have a good time,” Matthews said, “However College Park, which was created because the college students were ruining it for everybody else, is kind of a black eye for the whole event.”

Matthews said he had 45 deputies working the College Park area, along with the State Law Enforcement Division and University of South Carolina police. He said the biggest problem was excessive drinking, but said there were also several fights. Officers also caught a couple having sex in the KCSO’s mounted patrol horse trailer.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Crime & Courts, Featured, News, Recreation & Entertainment

Bodies of two missing boaters found in lake

March 26, 2012 By

Search crews have now found the body of the second of two boaters believed to have drowned on a Chesterfield County lake.

The state Department of Natural Resources said divers recovered the body of Casey Lloyd Monday, about 24 hours after finding the body of 30-year-old Andrecia Delanie of Hartsville.

Investigators say seven people were on a pontoon boat in Lake Robinson Friday evening when the motor suddenly had trouble. As they waited for the motor to cool, DNR Lt. Robert McCullough said the boaters jumped in the water to swim. After several minutes, the other passengers realized neither Delanie nor Lloyd had surfaced.

McCullough said neither man was wearing a life jacket. “This really hammers home the thing about wearing your PFDs and having your life jackets on in the summer,” he said, “They do save lives.”

Lake Robinson is on the Chesterfield and Darlington County border near the McBee community.

Filed Under: Accidents & Disasters, Featured, News, Recreation & Entertainment
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