A coalition of sports and environmental groups wants Batesburg-Leesville to stop looking at increased sewage disposal in the Edisto River.

Their demand comes as town leaders stick with the river as one option under consideration.

Leaders of the Sierra Club and Palmetto Paddlers say the idea jeopardizes recreation on a river that is one of the most pristine in South Carolina.

David Hutchens of Lexington, a leader of both groups, said their position is “nothing else dumped in the river,” no matter how well town leaders say anti-pollution efforts work.

The demand comes as town leaders search for ways to satisfy groups skeptical of its plan to expand wastewater disposal.

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2154799/groups-oppose-batesburg-leesville.html#RSS=local

Richland County deputies were shot at while trying to execute a search warrant on Broad River Road Thursday afternoon.

Richland County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Curtis Wilson said that narcotics agents were shot at when they tried to seach an apartment in the Brook Pine apartment complex in the 7000 block of Broad River Road about 6 p.m. They knocked on the door three times, Wilson said, and went into the apartment when no one answered. A suspect inside shot at the deputies, who fired back, Wilson said. Wilson said Frederick Withers II. 25, was arrested in the incident and is charged with attempted murder and drug charges. He was shot in the lowere body, but no one else was injured in the incident. He is being treated at Palmetto Health Richland.

―R. Darren Price

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2156237/deputies-involved-in-shootout.html#RSS=local

In 2003, Salvatore Giunta graduated from basic combat training at Fort Benning, Ga.

Thursday, Giunta addressed the graduating soldiers of the 193rd Infantry Brigade at Columbia’s Fort Jackson as the first living recipient of the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War.

“Yesterday, you were the future of the United States Army. Today, you are the United States Army,” he said. “Today, you will pick up the torch.”

Graduations are held almost weekly at the Army’s largest training base. Thursday was special because five Medal of Honor recipients visited with the new soldiers, one for each company of the 193rd. There are only 83 living Medal of Honor recipients.

Two Medal of Honor recipients who lived in the Midlands recently passed away:

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2156216/first-living-medal-of-honor-recipient.html#RSS=local

Attorney General Alan Wilson and several top law enforcement chiefs Wednesday unveiled a list of 10 legislative priorities they said they will work to pass by the session’s end in June.

The priorities – mostly nuts-and-bolts criminal matters – address issues that have been percolating in the General Assembly for years but have so far failed to pass.

One, for example, would give prosecution and defense lawyers an equal number of strikes against potential jurors. Currently, defense lawyers have twice as many jury strikes as prosecutors for serious crimes such as murder and armed robbery.

The joint law enforcement lobbying effort was said by Wilson to be the first ever in the state. Different agencies have tended to go their own way and lobby lawmakers for narrow interests, Wilson said.

“There are so many things we agree on – it’s so important that we speak with one voice,” Wilson said.

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2154804/law-enforcement-chiefs-reveal.html#RSS=local

A coalition of sports and environmental groups wants Batesburg-Leesville to stop looking at increased sewage disposal in the Edisto River.

Their demand comes as town leaders stick with the river as one option under consideration.

Leaders of the Sierra Club and Palmetto Paddlers say the idea jeopardizes recreation on a river that is one of the most pristine in South Carolina.

David Hutchens of Lexington, a leader of both groups, said their position is “nothing else dumped in the river,” no matter how well town leaders say anti-pollution efforts work.

The demand comes as town leaders search for ways to satisfy groups skeptical of its plan to expand wastewater disposal.

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2154799/groups-oppose-batesburg-leesville.html#RSS=local

A coalition of sports and environmental groups wants Batesburg-Leesville to stop looking at increased sewage disposal in the Edisto River.

Their demand comes as town leaders stick with the river as one option under consideration.

Leaders of the Sierra Club and Palmetto Paddlers say the idea jeopardizes recreation on a river that is one of the most pristine in South Carolina.

David Hutchens of Lexington, a leader of both groups, said their position is “nothing else dumped in the river,” no matter how well town leaders say anti-pollution efforts work.

The demand comes as town leaders search for ways to satisfy groups skeptical of its plan to expand wastewater disposal.

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2154799/groups-oppose-batesburg-leesville.html#RSS=local

In life, Wayne Cook, Sharon Ward and Jacquelyn Hall shared no friendship or family ties.

In death, their remains rest side by side in the Richland County Cemetery, forever linked by lives controlled by addictions that left them estranged from family or with no money for a funeral.

On Wednesday, they were buried in the public cemetery with seven other people during a 30-minute ceremony led by a Baptist minister.

Jean Westmoreland, Sue Dockery and Jody Dockery arrived early to place three photographs in a white box containing Cook’s ashes. The three cared for Cook during his final years, patiently dealing with his drinking binges and growing to love his sense of humor and storytelling.

They held no family obligations. Westmoreland had met Cook more than 20 years ago when he was a student at Midlands Tech. Sue Dockery was his home health aide, and her husband, Jody Dockery, sometimes visited Cook just so the two could have “man talk.”

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2154795/troubled-in-life-dignified-in.html#RSS=local

Attorney General Alan Wilson and several top law enforcement chiefs Wednesday unveiled a list of 10 legislative priorities they said they will work to pass by the session’s end in June.

The priorities – mostly nuts-and-bolts criminal matters – address issues that have been percolating in the General Assembly for years but have so far failed to pass.

One, for example, would give prosecution and defense lawyers an equal number of strikes against potential jurors. Currently, defense lawyers have twice as many jury strikes as prosecutors for serious crimes such as murder and armed robbery.

The joint law enforcement lobbying effort was said by Wilson to be the first ever in the state. Different agencies have tended to go their own way and lobby lawmakers for narrow interests, Wilson said.

“There are so many things we agree on – it’s so important that we speak with one voice,” Wilson said.

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2154804/law-enforcement-chiefs-reveal.html#RSS=local

The West Columbia Police Department has arrested two women for defrauding unsuspecting victims of money under the guise of subleasing the victims’ apartments.

Investigators on Tuesday arrested Cynthia Louise Allen, 23, of West Columbia and Coreshia Malasia Henry, age 25, of Sumter. They were charged with obtaining goods by false pretense and have been released on bond from the Lexington County Detention Center, the department said.

Chief Dennis Tyndall said the victims of the scam were college students who placed ads on Craigslist seeking people to take over their student housing leases. The suspects would contact the victim and take money from them in exchange for assuming the lease contract. Once they had the victim’s money, the suspects would end communication with the victim but not assume the lease, leaving the victims responsible.

Tyndall reminded residents they should never pay someone to take over a lease and should instead have anyone who is subletting fill out the necessary contracts with the rental property staff.

From Staff Reports

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/16/2155988/west-columbia-arrest-2-for-scamming.html#RSS=local

A tip from a Pelion police officer apparently gave the South Carolina Highway Patrol the lucky break they needed to make an arrest in a Lexington County hit-and-run case last week.

Romeo Romero Jr. surrendered to the SC Highway Patrol Sunday morning at the Lexington County Detention Center. He is charged with leaving the scene of a collision involving a death. More charges may be filed.

When Irma Hudson, 59, stepped out of her truck Wednesday night to pick up some trash that had flown out of the vehicle’s cargo area, she was struck and killed by a pickup truck on SC 302 a few miles west of Pelion. A child was in her truck at the time but not physically injured.

Within minutes, a Pelion police officer stopped Romero for an unrelated traffic violation, according to the Highway Patrol. The Pelion officer wrote a ticket, then, having no reason to detain him, let Romero go.

Within an hour, that officer heard over the radio about the hit-and-run and drove out to the death scene. He told troopers at the site that he may have just ticketed a person of interest.

http://www.thestate.com/2012/02/12/2151066/traffic-stop-helps-pelion-officer.html#RSS=local