Columbia shooting causes school lockdowns
A shooting occurred early Wednesday morning in Columbia. Two men approached a man exiting his mobile home on Patricia Drive just before 7 a.m., according to The State.
Shots were fired, hitting the victim in the lower body. According to the victim, the suspects fled the scene via car shortly thereafter. The victim was transported to Palmetto Health Richland and is expected to make a full recovery after sustaining non life-threatening injuries.
Four schools near the scene of the crime, Caughman Road Elementary School, Burnside Elementary School, Mill Creek Elementary School and Lower Richland High School, were placed on lockdown around 7:30 a.m. while the Richland County Sheriff’s deputies began searching for the suspects.
Deputies are continuing their search, but have not yet been able to locate the suspects.
— Lauren Shirley, Assistant News Editor
City plans for bike-share program
Columbia has plans to recommend a 10-year Walk Bike Columbia plan that will improve the city’s pedestrian and bicycle amenities and policies within the city, The State reported.
One of its perks is a bike-sharing program that suggests a bike share with 25 stations be strategically placed around the city and suggests bike lanes with a physical barrier to act as a buffer between bikers and traffic.
The plan will attempt to work with already coordinated projects to save money and increase efficiency.
The recommendation plan will be shared with the public officially Thursday night. After adjustments, the plan will be presented to the city planning commission in order to obtain endorsement, and then will be passed along to the City Council for final approval later this spring.
— Lauren Shirley, Assistant News Editor
New parole officers possible in the coming year
A South Carolina House panel is considering whether to hire 44 new parole officers, according to The State.
The increase will cost taxpayers $2.6 million a year, and is being proposed in order to reduce caseloads for agents at South Carolina’s parole agency.
The South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services originally requested for 75 new agents, but the number was brought down to 44 as a compromise.
The parole agency is the second department that has requested more staffers in the coming year. It has requested a $3.2 million increase from its previous funding of $21.9 million.
The request is currently under review by a subcommittee, and the House is in the early stages of creating a budget for South Carolina’s fiscal year, which starts July 1.
—Madeleine Collins, Assistant News Editor