Garden commemorates West Columbia leader
A garden was commemorated to Abby Bray, a late West Columbia city councilman, Tuesday in Lexington County, according to The State.
Bray played a large role in adopting a no-kill policy for stray animals in Lexington County and helped inspire the city council to take action.
Bray died in May 2013 after serving as a city leader for little more than a year. His goal was to improve the city’s parks, and his ambition convinced the other members of city council to take on the issue.
The garden is located near the Congaree River at Carraway Park. It features plants that attract butterflies and a small playground. The playground equipment was provided by county recreation officials, and officials at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden created the garden’s design and greenery.
—Madeleine Collins, Assistant News Editor
Man sentenced 15 years for flying drone into South Carolina prison
Brenton Lee Doyle was sentenced to 15 years in jail after he pleaded guilty to using a drone to smuggle contraband into Lee Correctional Institution, a high security South Carolina prison, according to The State.
In April 2014, officers found the drone crashed in the bushes outside of the prison walls. Officers found phones, tobacco, marijuana and synthetic marijuana — all items prohibited in the prison.
Corrections officials began to install new surveillance towers in December as a response to the threat of drones. In an attempt to decrease contraband at the prison, thermal imaging cameras were installed around the compound.
—Madeleine Collins, Assistant News Editor
South Carolina to settle lawsuit over unfinished child support enforcement system
South Carolina has paid $73 million in fines and will receive $39 million in order to settle a lawsuit regarding the unfinished computer system for collecting unpaid child support from the Department of Social Services, according to The State.
The $39 million could go towards the next stage in developing the child-support enforcement system if lawmakers approve it. The program could take up to four more years to complete.
It was announced Tuesday that the South Carolina Department of Social Services reached a settlement with Hewlett-Packard, a vendor recently hired to finish the system. The system has been under development since 1992 after Congress passed a law requiring states to build a statewide system to enforce the collection of child support payments.
Fines have been racking up since 1998 when South Carolina still had yet completed the computer system. Social Services officials expect the settlement to be approved quickly.
—Madeleine Collins, Assistant News Editor