The State
Which downtown Columbia bridge has the most car crashes?
Each day, three downtown bridges funnel more than 83,000 drivers between downtown Columbia and Lexington County — college students heading home to student apartment complexes across the Congaree River, state government workers coming into town from...
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Hints of the ’28 campaign come to ’26 SC King Day
Even though nearly 290 days remain until the 2026 midterm elections, the specter of the 2028 presidential campaign was evident at the annual King Day at the Dome event. Potential 2028 presidential candidates U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and U.S. Rep. Ro...
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State GOP lawmakers push for stricter abortion restrictions
Rescheduling mifepristone, pulling Medicaid funds for some family planning providers and penalizing abortion like homicide are all proposals in front of South Carolina lawmakers this year to further restrict abortion access. However, not all bills...
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Huge Columbia crowds greet Buddhist monks on Walk for Peace
Thousands turned out on the streets of Columbia on Saturday to watch as the cross-country Walk for Peace passed through South Carolina’s capital city. Two dozen Buddhist monks and Aloka the Peace Dog have been walking from their home temple in Texas...
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Wave of new student housing coming to Rosewood neighborhood
A wave of new student housing projects is descending on one of Columbia’s oldest neighborhoods. At least four new projects aimed at students are either now leasing, under construction or proposed for lots in the area of Rosewood nearest WilliamsBrice...
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Lexington gives final approval for annexation of subdivision
Officials for the town of Lexington signed off on a nearly 300-home subdivision that sits just outside the town limits at its Monday night meeting. The plan, to bring 299 single-family homes to a 191-acre plot of land along Barr Road and just off West...
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Spring Valley man in hate crime case to remain in jail
A 34-year-old white Richland County man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a federal hate crime charge violating the housing rights of a Black neighbor and a separate charge of using a firearm in a crime of violence. No bond was set for Jonathan Felkel of...
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Bitty & Beau’s owners close shop for renovations, rebrand
Bitty & Beau’s, the coffee shop chain in the Vista that focuses on employing workers with intellectual disabilities, has closed its doors. The husband and wife duo that operate the shop have a new concept in mind. A little more than a year after...
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Murder brings Staley, Harpootlian and serial killer together
Two of South Carolina’s best-known people from different worlds — famed University of South Carolina women’s basketball Coach Dawn Staley and legal lion Dick Harpootlian of the notorious “Murdaugh Murders” case — teamed up last week to do a kind of...
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SC food stamp program could cost $38M more to run annually
South Carolina’s federal food benefits program may be nearly $38 million more expensive to run annually and require 31 new employees, according to a budget request from the state Department of Social Services. Administering the Supplemental Nutrition...
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Homeowner blames development for trees falling on house
Linda Shanabrook’s husband was asleep in their bedroom when a tree fell through their roof. He was unharmed, but he was quite a sight when he emerged from the bedroom. “He came out covered in insulation and plaster,” Shanabrook said. The damage was...
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Steve Taneyhill, ‘a pillar of Gamecock history,’ dies at 52
Former South Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill died Monday. Taneyhill was 52 years old and had been battling cancer. “Gamecock Nation mourns the loss of Steve Taneyhill, a pillar of Gamecock history. Our thoughts are with his loved ones. Rest in...
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Church advertised financial help; dozens were turned away
Residents in unincorporated Richland County were promised an opportunity to get help paying for rent, utilities, childcare and other expenses during a special outreach event Dec. 10 and 11 at Brookland Baptist Northeast church. But just days before it...
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Bizarre tale of Murdaugh clerk ends with guilty pleas, no time
Rebecca “Becky” Hill, whose career as Colleton County clerk of court began in obscurity, rose to stardom and finished in disgrace, capped a bizarre subplot in the Alex Murdaugh murder saga Monday by pleading guilty to state charges of misconduct,...
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Can funding for prevention groups lower teen gun violence?
While working as a probation officer in South Carolina, Zakiya Mickle noticed a lack of opportunities for young offenders to complete their courtordered service. She began Sowing Seeds into the Midlands in 2013 to give children from Richland and...
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White House backs Hegseth, confirms 2nd boat strike
The White House defended the Pentagon’s handling of a September attack on an alleged drug-running boat and denied that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had given an order to kill everyone on the vessel, rebutting a report that had led to allegations of...
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SC judge-picking process begins; some seek reforms
Standing in front of a 12-person commission, a court reporter and judiciary committee staff, candidates for judgeships answer questions about their temperament and their experiences on legal issues, and respond to comments left in anonymous...
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Audit of charter school district advises state law changes
South Carolina’s largest charter school district has accepted donations from businesses that provide it services and provide services to its schools, and “likely” used public funds to financially support a nonprofit that offers teacher training and...
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Lawsuit: School district site flooded homes
Stormwater from a now-terminated construction project in Lower Richland has routinely flooded a nearby neighborhood, severely damaging several homes and infrastructure, according to a new lawsuit. And the homeowners claim there is no end in...
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Finlay Park won’t allow most backpacks, purses
Columbia will re-open downtown’s Finlay Park for the first time in years Nov. 15, but you won’t be allowed to bring your backpack, purse, picnic basket or other opaque bag. The city says there will be a standing clear-bag policy at the park. The...
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Gas station owner denied immunity in 2023 shooting
A Circuit Court judge denied immunity for a former gas station owner who reportedly gunned down a 14-year-old on Memorial Day weekend in 2023. Rick Chow will stand trial for the killing of Cyrus Carmack-Belton, following the conclusion of an immunity...
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Water finally flowing in Finlay Park’s iconic fountain
The grand reopening of Columbia’s Finlay Park — once considered the “crown jewel” of the city’s parks system — may still be a couple of weeks away, but on Monday an iconic piece of the park could be seen gushing once more. The spiral fountain on the...
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New USC-affiliated apartment floods, some students relocated
A luxury student apartment complex affiliated with the University of South Carolina just opened. It’s already having problems. Gateway 737, a 650,000-square-foot facility on Gadsden Street across from neighboring Colonial Life Arena, bills itself as a...
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Columbia thoroughfare rerouted as sinkhole forms downtown
A sinkhole has begun forming near a heavily trafficked intersection at the city’s center. A main downtown Columbia thoroughfare will be re-routed this week as the City of Columbia works to repair the damage. Assembly Street between Gervais and Lady...
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Opening date for Columbia’s Finlay Park was delayed
A shiny, new Finlay Park, has been a long time coming in Columbia. And while the opening date is getting closer, there’s still more to be done. The $24 million project to restore the city’s once-renowned park, which had fallen into disrepair since...
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Thousands march at state capitol for ‘No Kings’ protest
Thousands of people protesting President Donald Trump’s leadership marched peacefully Saturday on Main Street and covered the state capitol grounds in Columbia, waving signs and cheering speeches that derided the president and his policies. They...
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USC fans, get ready for the ‘Mother of All Fair Games’
Top off your gas tanks and ask the Lord for patience, Gamecocks fans. The “fair game” is upon us. One of the unique quirks — which is either charming or annoying, depending on your point of view — of University of South Carolina football fandom is the...
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Murdaugh accomplice Laffitte sentenced to 8 years in prison
After four years of criminal charges, guilty pleas and humiliation, ex-banker Russell Laffitte had nothing to say. “Your honor, I don’t think Mr. Laffitte wants to address the court,” Laffitte’s lawyer Mark Moore told S.C. Judge Heath Taylor on Monday...
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County remembers councilman’s Mountain Dew-drinking camel
For nearly three decades, a 7-foottall camel owned by a Lexington County councilman and the county coroner brought joy and the message of Jesus across Lexington. A Christian minister who never spoke a word. An avid Mountain Dew drinker. The A-list...
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Local brewery closes its taproom after 8 years
Columbia Craft Brewing Company has closed its taproom, located just outside the Vista, owners announced on social media Monday. The brewery and taproom, which opened its doors in Columbia in 2017, will continue to produce and distribute beer...
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Columbia Canal repairs to continue at least 2 to 3 years
Visitors to Columbia’s Riverfront Park should expect to see construction for at least the next two or three years, as after a decade of waiting the city is finally in the midst of construction to repair the Columbia canal after it was damaged during...
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Murdaugh financial crime partner gets 5 years in prison
The legal consequences and public humiliation for once-respected exbanker Russell Laffitte, who helped Alex Murdaugh steal millions in a massive South Carolina banking and law firm fraud scandal, continued Monday when a federal judge sentenced Laffitte...
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Retiring clothing shop owner beat cancer, deportation threat
Across more than three decades, Jaya Tolani has outfitted Columbia. From her Looking Good menswear shop at 6531 Two Notch Road, Tolani has helped dress out countless members of local church choirs. Boys who needed a needed a new suit for Easter. Men...
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‘Truck load’ of alcohol seized at Columbia gas station
Law enforcement officials on Monday seized boxes of alcohol from the former Obama Mart gas station at 5831 North Main St., which had been illegally selling it despite a court ruling denying the store a permit to sell off-premises beer and wine. Area...
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Lawsuit: Watts says SLED, Irmo broke law in poker game raid
Irmo police and the State Law Enforcement Division seemed to hold all the cards last year when they raided a poker game of Texas Hold ’em in an office suite and arrested 11 players, including well-known former Richland County coroner Gary Watts. After...
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How long will fans have to wait for Williams-Brice sidewalks?
For seven weekends each fall, nearly 80,000 fans descend on WilliamsBrice Stadium in Columbia. For thousands of those Gamecock fans, their only way to the University of South Carolina’s stadium has involved a dangerous trek along four- to six-lane...
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USC football’s home opener: Tips for navigating game day
The boys are back in town. A week after the University of South Carolina football team opened its 2025 campaign with a 24-11 victory over Virginia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, it is now set to host the first home game of the season. The...
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Skyline ride takes flight at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
After years of discussion, planning and construction, it is now possible to fly across the Saluda River. Riverbanks Zoo and Garden has officially launched the Saluda Skyride, a new attraction that will transport visitors across a picturesque section...
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SC federal judges warn of funding shortfall
Six federal judges in South Carolina, including Chief U.S. Judge Timothy Cain, have written a letter highlighting a critical money shortage in the state’s federal criminal justice system. The situation they shine a light on involves a lack of federal...
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USC active shooter calls a hoax, officials say
The University of South Carolina Police Department received two calls around 6:30 p.m. Sunday evening reporting gunfire at Thomas Cooper Library in the heart of the Columbia campus. Minutes later at 6:34 p.m., students, parents and community members...
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Fallen SC trooper Ricks laid to rest, honored for service
At more than 6 feet tall, S.C. Trooper First Class Dennis Ricks was a gentle giant with an even bigger heart. He loved his wife. He loved his job. He loved to laugh. Ricks was remembered for those traits Wednesday during a funeral service in Columbia...
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Some local restaurants finding homes inside other businesses
Sometimes a new restaurant needs an extra revenue stream. Sometimes a bar needs food service to keep its liquor license and lower insurance. And other times, a store full of imported goods needs a hedge against economic uncertainty. These are the...
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Inside Rush’s switch from and return to its classic fries
The people of the Midlands certainly have their passions. Some, for instance, live and die with the fates of the athletic teams at the University of South Carolina, particularly the Gamecocks’ football and women’s basketball squads. Others find solace...
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Columbia must pay former car wash owner $5.5M, judge rules
Columbia must pay a former car wash owner who had to shut down a 75-year-old business, a court ruled on Monday. The owner of Constan Car Wash will receive $5.5 million from the city because Columbia ordered the business to remove a barrier that led to...
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Norfolk Southern suing over 2022 Columbia derailment
Three years after a Norfolk Southern train derailed, injuring two employees, the rail company is taking the owners of a Richland County pasta facility to federal court. In a lawsuit filed July 1, Norfolk Southern alleges that American Italian Pasta...
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Man pleads guilty in sabotage of chicken processing plant
A 52-year-old man who threatened public health by using a remote cellphone linkup to sabotage food cleaning at a Sumter chicken processing plant pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Columbia. William Jason Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of...
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What’s led to the explosive growth of Lexington’s Red Bank?
The sights and sounds of progress were readily apparent on a recent bright, hot summer morning in the Red Bank area of Lexington County. Construction workers in helmets and bright shirts with tool belts dangling from their hips were perched on roofs...
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Cayce city manager left over tension with mayor, letter says
The former city manager of Cayce left the city’s top administrative position less than a year into the job over frustrations with longtime Mayor Elise Partin, a document obtained by The State shows. “I feel that we are operating under two councils....
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How restaurant inspections changed after DHEC split
In the year since South Carolina split its health agency in two and moved some functions to longtime agencies, the state’s agriculture department, now in charge of restaurant safety inspections, has beefed up both its staff and enforcement. When the...
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Contraband phones fuel crime in SC prisons, grand jury warns
Two imprisoned brothers who coordinated a methamphetamine ring with a Mexican cartel. An inmate who allegedly amassed $1 million through money laundering and trafficking marijuana. A woman who sent pornographic pictures of her underage daughter to a...
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USC intersections raise safety concerns after fatality
The roadways near an intersection on the USC campus where a student was killed in April are notoriously hazardous, with an average of one serious wreck a month, according to data. Nate Baker, a student at the University of South Carolina, was killed...
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As Columbia invests to be a top city, will taxes go up?
In recent years, Columbia has made big investments to push itself forward — to entice more residents, improve quality of life and move out of the shadow of other South Carolina cities that may carry more clout. But becoming the city it wants to become...
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Historic Columbia furniture store set for luxury renovations
Luxury apartments, destination dining, modern office space and more are envisioned for three historic properties in Columbia’s Vista neighborhood. The century-old buildings in question most recently housed Whit-Ash Furnishings, which closed last year...
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Lost bones of serial killer Pee Wee Gaskins’ victim found
The long lost bones of one victim of South Carolina serial killer Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins have been found in a box in a storage closet at the College of Charleston. The bones belong to Martha Ann Dicks, a 19-year-old woman who disappeared in the...
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Lexington County officials OK with drop in EMS revenues
In the year after Lexington County began contracting with a third-party, private medical company to handle less critical calls for help, collections for rides in county ambulances dropped by more than a quarter. The amount of money collected for...
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As thousands protest, has SC’s approval of Trump shifted?
Several thousand protesters descended on the South Carolina State House Saturday to oppose President Donald Trump. “My concern is the constitution,” said Martha Barnette, 69, who stood alongside her brother holding a sign that read, “Save our...
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Columbia pauses Airbnb permits after deadly shooting
A law enforcement official leaves an Airbnb at 2408 Lincoln Friday, June, 6, 2025. There was a shooting at the house earlier in the morning, leaving three people injured and one dead. Columbia has paused issuing any new residential permits for...
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SC state senator challenges lawmaker pay raise in court
A state senator and one of his former colleagues are going to the state Supreme Court to stop the pay increase for lawmakers approved by the General Assembly. State Sen. Wes Climer, R-York, filed a lawsuit Friday that says the $1,500 a month increase...
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McMaster vetoes parking plan for new Lake Murray park
A new park in the Midlands is now set to open without parking restrictions after action by the governor. Gov. Henry McMaster has vetoed a proviso in the 2025-26 state budget that would have required a new state park on Lake Murray to limit visitors to...
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Rawls Creek skate park hosts new generation of shredders
Irmo’s new skate park hasn’t been open long, but it’s already getting attention. Tucked away in the Friarsgate neighborhood inside Rawls Creek Park, it hosted the Boardr series, a national, all-ages skateboarding contest, on March 28-29. The event...
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Sewer overflows raise concerns for Chapin, Lake Murray
Heavy rainfall in May exacerbated a persistent problem in Chapin: the tendency for the town’s sewer pipes to overflow. The town of Chapin suffered two sanitary sewer overflows this month, one on May 12 and another just days later on May 16, the S.C....
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Teacher mentors Batesburg-Leesville students with bow ties
Corey Bedenbaugh is proud to be South Carolina’s Teacher of the Year for 2025. But his win means that he’ll actually be out of the classroom well into 2026. “It really is kind of bittersweet leaving my classroom,” said Bedenbaugh, who teaches social...
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USC may redevelop former student apartments for senior living
In shadow of the University of South Carolina’s shiny, new student housing development, apartments that once housed students grow older. Vacant, save one building used for maintenance shops, Carolina Gardens spans an entire block that has been mostly...
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Riverfront project eyes high-profile designers
Columbia has a vision to transform a stretch of its waterfront along the Congaree River into a world-class park. Now, the city has narrowed its list of prospective designers to six, one of which will likely plan out what that park looks like and just...
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Richland 1 will demolish partially built early learning center
Richland School District 1 will dismantle the partially-built structures at a now-abandoned early learning center site after the school board voted to disband the $31 million construction project earlier this year. The project, a proposed early...
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Columbia photographer leaves behind untold stories from SC
Georgia native Panos Constantinides thought he knew most things about his uncle Constantine Manos. Constantinides regularly visited his uncle, who resided in Provincetown, Massachusetts. There they would fish and travel around different parts of the...
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County fined $3M for pollution at Scout site
Richland County is being ordered to pay up to $3 million for violating state pollution rules at the under-construction Scout Motors site north of Columbia. State regulators have documented numerous instances of sediment and storm water being...
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Mistakes led to Irmo firefighter’s death, lawsuit says
James Muller was still in high school when he knew that he wanted to be a firefighter. By 25, he was married, the father to a young son and serving with the Irmo Fire District. On May 26, 2023, he was killed while assisting the ColumbiaRichland Fire...
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‘TRULY A CELEBRATION’
The long-awaited statue of South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley was unveiled Wednesday afternoon near downtown Columbia. The statue, which is 14 feet tall, made of bronze and weighs nearly 2,000 pounds, depicts a smiling Staley on a...
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Why residents rallied to save the Hopkins Pool
For over 50 years, residents of the mostly Black, largely rural Lower Richland community have relied on the Hopkins Pool for swimming lessons, water aerobics and to be a gathering place on hot summer days. But after those decades and almost no...
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Inside look at Columbia Museum of Art renovations
Last month, the Columbia Museum of Art marked its 75th anniversary. It met the milestone with its galleries closed. They’ve been closed since January, and they’ll remain closed until May. “The nonprofit has existed for 75 years, but we’ve been in...
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Developers propose high-rise housing projects on Main Street
The developers of Main Street student apartment building The Hub are back at it. Specifically, they want to bring an even bigger Columbia project, valued at $225 million, directly across the street. Core Spaces, a Chicago-based developer, plans to...
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A look at the use of police dogs in SC after series of K9 deaths
Two days before Christmas last year, Alan Ware prepared to start his patrol shift. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department K9 handler geared up both himself and his partner, K9 Bumi, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois. As was custom, Ware’s wife told Bumi...
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Area developers bet on Scout Motors to bring new business
Scout Motors has promised to transform the Midlands with a $2 billion state-of-the-art production center for new electrically powered Scout trucks and SUVs, which are now expected to start rolling off the line in late 2027. The vehicle plant is being...
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