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South Carolina Daily Gazette
2 jurors, trial judge, ex-corrections director ask for clemency in upcoming SC execution
COLUMBIA — Two jurors and the judge who sentenced a man to death more than 20 years ago are newly asking Gov. Henry McMaster to spare his life. Attorneys for Richard Moore officially asked McMaster on Wednesday to grant the 59-year-old clemency, in a last-ditch effort to avoid his execution scheduled for Friday. Moore’s attorneys […]
Our SC votes matter most in state and local elections
When a motorist slammed into the back of my car a few years ago, I didn’t call the White House. Actually, I didn’t call anyone. I was all shook up, and not in the pleasant way Elvis meant it. Some kind soul dialed 911. Long story short, first responders showed up. They took good care […]
Largest conservation easement project in SC history underway with $50M grant
COLUMBIA — More than 62,000 acres of land in the Pee Dee are slated for protection, marking the largest conservation easement project in the state’s history, according to a conservation group helping to arrange it. A $50 million federal Forest Legacy grant will make up the “lion’s share” of funding for the properties in Georgetown, […]
How social media is influencing our interactions with public lands
Don’t pet the fluffy cows. That’s the Instagram bio tagline for the National Park Service’s popular account, which showcases stunning photos of the diverse terrains of the United States’ 431 national parks. The cheeky statement, followed by a buffalo emoji, is meant to make its 6 million followers laugh, NPS’ social media specialist Matthew Turner […]
NC lawmakers look to Congress for additional Helene relief, but action unlikely before mid-November
Lawmakers in North Carolina have laid out $877 million in state aid for Hurricane Helene recovery in the mountains — an effort many are hoping will be bolstered by help from Capitol Hill. “This will be a major amount of the pressure that we have got to put on the U.S. Congress,” Sen. Ralph Hise, […]
Insurers expect Helene’s damages to be historic. That’s not counting what they won’t pay.
A few tarps and an old quilt are the only barriers sealing off what remains of Gary and Patricia Brinkley’s Pacolet home from the outside elements after Tropical Storm Helene toppled a 90-foot oak tree that crushed the roof above their bedroom and living room. Meanwhile, cold weather is coming, with forecasted temperatures dipping into […]
Self-driving cars aren’t here yet, but states are getting the rules ready
Early one morning last year, as state Rep. Josh Bray left his small town of Mount Vernon in southeastern Kentucky to make his way to the Capitol in Frankfort, he decided to count how many drivers he saw texting or distracted by something else. He quit counting after 24 when he saw a truck driver […]
Iowa AG leads multi-state opposition to court decision on Clean Water Act
Attorneys general from 25 states, including South Carolina, filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court Monday in support of the Port of Tacoma’s appeal of a U.S. circuit court decision that upheld a citizen’s ability to sue individuals for violating the Clean Water Act. “We must not allow unelected, green activists to weaponize […]
Rep. Mace leads all SC congressional candidates in total raised heading into Election Day
COLUMBIA — U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace is leading the pack in fundraising among congressional candidates in South Carolina. Campaigns have filed their final disclosures, showing how much they have raised, so far, over the entire two-year election cycle and how much they still have available to spend between Oct. 16 and Election Day. New dollar […]
‘1984,’ ‘Romeo & Juliet’ to be considered under new SC ‘age-appropriate’ book rule
COLUMBIA — State decisions on what to keep or yank from library shelves in South Carolina’s K-12 schools will start with a list that includes “1984,” “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Romeo & Juliet.” They are among 11 books up for review Thursday by a State Board of Education panel under new rules that took effect […]
Overdose deaths are rising among Black and Indigenous Americans
The recent decline in overdose deaths hides a tremendous disparity by race: Deaths have fallen only among white people while continuing to rise among people of color, according to a new Stateline analysis of federal data. Health experts in nonwhite communities say they’re finding strategies that work in their areas, but they still struggle for recognition […]
In this rural SC county, restoring power after Helene took weeks
MCCORMICK — For Joanna Huoni, Helene was the second storm she lived through in three months. Huoni was living in an RV in Texas, receiving cancer treatments, when she was hit by Hurricane Beryl. “I lost everything, so I came home to mom’s,” she said. Home was in the town of McCormick, where Huoni, 63, […]
The lesson from SC report cards? Teaching to a script is a failure.
The recent release of the 2024 South Carolina School Report Cards marks the start of an annual debate over the future direction of K-12 education. Unlike most recent releases, this year’s results show signs of promise, most notably the reduced number of schools receiving an “unsatisfactory” rating. However, even causes for celebration are tempered by […]
SC power cooperatives eligible for up to $500M in federal clean energy funds
COLUMBIA — The organization that supplies electricity to South Carolina’s 19 power cooperatives is in line for up to $500 million in federal grants and low-interest loans to help cover the cost of solar and nuclear energy for some 2 million power customers over the next two decades. Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc., is among […]
12 states get behind Utah’s lawsuit to take over millions of acres of federally controlled land
A dozen states are throwing their support behind Utah’s lawsuit that questions whether the Bureau of Land Management can hold onto nearly 18.5 million acres of public land within the state’s borders. Filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in August, Utah’s lawsuit argues that the agency can’t indefinitely hold onto land without giving it a […]
State park to include new kind of overnight camping for SC
COLUMBIA — A new state park along South Carolina’s scenic Black River will also offer overnight visitors a unique camping experience after lawmakers approved buying Airstream trailers to rent. The state parks department recently received permission to buy five Airstream trailers. The iconic aluminum travel trailers will be permanent fixtures near the river, creating a […]
SC Freedom Caucus leader could soon face federal charges, court filing confirms
COLUMBIA — The founder of South Carolina’s uber-conservative House Freedom Caucus had multiple electronic devices seized by federal law enforcement in August, which could soon be used for criminal charges, according to a document filed Thursday in federal court. A U.S. Attorney is asking the court for more time in a case involving Rep. RJ […]
Judge rules against adding 1,900 teens to the voter roll by Election Day
COLUMBIA — Nearly 1,900 teens who tried to register to vote through the state Department of Motor Vehicles cannot be added to the voter rolls before the election, a judge ruled Friday. The request came from an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit against the DMV and the State Election Commission, filed on Tuesday. The lawsuit […]
7 SC civil rights activists have records expunged 64 years later
COLUMBIA — In 1960, seven Columbia college students dared to challenge whites-only dining policies at local lunch counters. On Friday, their criminal records were finally cleared. The expungements, approved with fanfare by Circuit Court Judge Robert Hood, could be a first for Columbia, according to researchers. Prior expungements in South Carolina include for the “Friendship […]
USC plans to build $350M neurological hospital touted as first in Southeast
COLUMBIA — The University of South Carolina plans to build a highly specialized hospital promising “world-class treatment” and rehabilitation for strokes, dementia and other diseases affecting the brain and nervous system. The university board on Friday unanimously approved an agreement that provides the first $10 million toward what’s expected to be a $350 million project. […]
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The South Carolina Daily Gazette is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news site covering state government and officials and how their decisions affect people across the Palmetto State. We are a small team dedicated to providing fair, accurate and thorough coverage of what the government is (or isn’t) doing for the people and with their money. We will clearly explain how policy is made and ditch the politi-speak while connecting readers with what’s happening in their government. That’s why our slogan is “Empowering South Carolinians through news.” Democracy depends on informed voters advocating for themselves and others based on knowledge, not spin. To make staying informed even easier, we offer a free newsletter delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Our reporting is free both to readers and to other outlets, which can republish our work under the Creative Commons license. South Carolina Daily Gazette is an affiliate of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. The Gazette retains full editorial independence. Our name comes from the state’s first successful newspaper, the South-Carolina Gazette, first printed in 1732. Seven years later, it also became the first newspaper in colonial America edited and published by a woman.
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