Gov. Nikki Haley starts Facebook dispute
Gov. Nikki Haley accused her friend and political ally state Sen. Katrina Shealy of spreading rumors about the religious beliefs of Lillian Koller, the director of the state Department of Social Services, The State reported.
Haley responded to a comment on a post she made to Facebook that accused Koller of being an atheist, sparking the argument.
“Dir. Koller is not an Atheist,” Haley wrote. “I wish you and Sen. Shealy would quit spreading that lie. She is Jewish and the daughter of Holocaust survivors.”
Shealy responded on her social media, saying she was “so angry” that Haley called her a liar and that she deserved an apology from Haley.
Shealy said she asked the governor’s staff privately about a rumor about Koller’s religion. Shealy added that she “accepted the answer” and only continued to speak on the topic to correct others.
Former sheriff found guilty of eight charges
A jury found former Chesterfield County Sheriff Sam Parker guilty of five counts of misconduct in office, two counts of distributing contraband to inmates and one count of embezzlement on Thursday, The Associated Press reported.
Parker had been accused of distributing guns from his departments without completing the required paperwork as well as allowing untrained people to serve as deputies.
The defense lawyer argued that Parker’s actions weren’t criminal, but prosecutors said he gave confiscated weapons to personal friends who were not deputies.
Parker assumed the position of sheriff in 2003 and served until he was indicted in March 2013. Six other South Carolina sheriffs have been involved in criminal investigations or charges within four years. Parker was one of the few sheriffs to refuse to plead guilty.
The investigation into Parker began when an inmate who was serving a 15-year sentence for arson became angry with Parker for punishing him. The inmate claimed that he was permitted to “drink alcohol, sleep outside the jail, use an iPad and have unsupervised visits with women.”
Man confronted after failing to pay for refill
A construction worker at the VA Medical Center in downtown Charleston was initially fined $525 after refilling his cup without paying the $0.89 price during his lunch hour, but he will be given a warning instead, WCSC reported.
Federal law enforcement at the hospital issued the ticket to Christopher Lewis for “theft of government property” and banned him from returning to the hospital. He is now unemployed.
A spokesman for the medical center said that there are signs posted in the cafeteria stating that refills are not complimentary. The spokesman also said that Lewis was aggressive during the confrontation.
Lewis defended himself by arguing that he did not see the posted signs. He also said that he tried to pay the $0.89 after being approached, but his attempt to pay after the fact was not accepted.
Lewis also said that he will contest the charge in court.
“I want everybody to know that I made a simple mistake, that I’m not a thief, that I’m not dishonest,” he said. “I’m trying to do the right thing.”