Inmate killed at Bishopville prison
The South Carolina Department of Corrections is investigating the death of an inmate at one of South Carolina’s largest prisons. Ae Kingratsaiphon, 35, was serving a life sentence at Lee Correctional Institution in Bishopville when he was killed, The State reports. A second inmate required care at a facility outside the prison. Kingratsaiphon had been in prison at the maximum security facility since 1999.
Benedict president responds to petition
The president of Benedict College responded to an online petition with his own five-page letter. WIS reports that the letter, directed towards the student who created the Change.org petition to “Take Back Benedict” in response to a tuition increase, criticized the petition. President David H. Swinton argued that the tuition increase was necessary to keep the school going, and he rejected the idea that a “lack of fiscal discipline” created the need, claiming that a decrease in funding over recent years has left the school in a bind. He also said that the student should have taken the issue to him before taking to social media. Swinton did take the time to acknowledge the student’s passion for the school.
Staley, Tanner reflect on Coach Summitt's passing
Following reports on the death of Pat Summitt, former University of Tennessee women's basketball coach, USC's own coach Dawn Staley, delivered a statement in reflection. Summitt was an esteemed coach whom many players and coaches, including Staley, looked up to. "I can't think of anyone whose footsteps I would want to follow other than hers," Staley said. USC's Athletics Director Ray Tanner also responded to the coach's passing. "Pat Summitt was not just a championship coach, she was a transformational leader for women's sports," he said.