Rucker stuck in traffic, misses Grammy Award
Former USC student and Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker was not on hand to pick up his trophy on stage Sunday night in Los Angeles after winning his first Grammy Award in 18 years, The State reported.
Rucker, who was stuck in traffic, missed the red carpet, the beginning of the network telecast and even the pre-telecast when his award was presented.
“We barely made it time for him to get to his seat,” Ebie McFarland, Rucker’s publicist said. “He even had to stand in the hallway until the first commercial break before they would escort him to his seat because we were that late getting there.”
After announcing his name as the winner for Best Country Solo Performance for “Wagon Wheel,” Grammy presenter Cydni Lauper spent 12 seconds looking for Rucker before giving up.
Other performers who neglected to pick up their awards during the three-hour pre-telecast show included Alicia Keys, Imagine Dragons, Pharrell Williams and the directors of the music video for Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie.”
Mental health patient fatally shot
A patient was fatally shot at a mental health facility in Chesterfield after he attacked a psychiatrist, WIS reported. The patient was brought to the Tri-County Medical Center around 11:30 a.m. Monday morning for treatment.
After members inside the clinic heard the patient become loud and argumentative with the psychiatrist, the clinic staff went into lockdown mode and called 911. Afterwards, staff members heard gunshots being fired.
The psychiatrist was not seriously injured, but he told officials that the patient physically assaulted him. No other patients or staff members were harmed during the incident.
The State Law Enforcement Division is still investigating the incident, and they have already interviewed clinic staff and patients who were present.
The clinic is scheduled to re-open on Tuesday.
Wofford College student has swell idea
Eighteen-year-old Mitchell Saum, a first-year student at Wofford College, has started Swell Bamboo Sunglasses, a company that sells lightweight, durable bamboo sunglasses designed for ocean and water sports enthusiasts. Since Swell glasses are made of bamboo, they float, The State reported.
“I love the beach, and it’s a common occurrence to see people lose their sunglasses in the ocean,” Saum said. “I think a lot of people can relate to that.”
Saum contacted manufacturing companies in China and received a prototype for his design in the mail as a high school senior. Saum was able to convince his dad to give him $2,000 so he could place his first order, and he sold his first 100 pairs to his friends.
Saum has been marketing his glasses, which sell for $80 a pair, on Instagram to his 36,000 followers. He placed a second order for 1,000 pairs after selling his first 100. His mother has been shipping the glasses to customers from the family’s house.