Colonial Life to implement new court design
A new floor design is anticipated to debut at Colonial Life Arena pending the first Gamecock basketball game, says USC Athletic Director Ray Tanner. As the wood needed to be replaced, the university decided to implement a new paint job as well, The State reports. Tanner says that the "South Carolina" bridge logo which stretches over the trademark Block C logo is not included in the new layout and that he believes "a palmetto tree (and) 'Gamecocks' in the end zone" would look good.
Alleged serial thief wanted
The Richland County Sheriff's Department is seeking a man who is accused of stealing multiple times from Eli's Food Mart on Hardscrabble Road. The suspect, 54-year-old Eric Inabinet, allegedly stole beer from the establishment last spring. According to Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, Inabinet has frequently stolen items from Eli's. A reward of up to $1000 is offered for information leading to Inabinet's arrest.
Deceased River Bluff High School athlete mourned
A River Bluff High School football player, 14-year-old Lewis Simpkins, collapsed during practice Wednesday evening. After being transported to Lexington Medical Center, Simpkins was pronounced dead. Chris Wooten, Simpkins' coach and father of Simpkins' teammate, said that Simpkins was loved by his peers. Wooten told The State that Simpkins was a "phenomenal kid." According to Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher, Simpkins' autopsy report was inconclusive.
Man's cardiac arrest leads to fatal crash
A man who crashed his vehicle into a tree on Bluff Road on Wednesday suffered from cardiac arrest before the accident, according to Richland County Coroner Gary Watts. Watts, who identified the victim as 71-year-old Clarence Paul O'Berry, also said that O'Berry could have been unconscious at the time he crashed. O'Berry's cause of death, however, was ruled in an autopsy report as blunt force trauma to the torso.
Students file lawsuit over SC schools law
A law that allows police to charge school students for offenses such as loitering and interfering with school activity in some way is being challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union. A group of students has joined the ACLU with the intent of participating in a lawsuit over the law, which they believe is too vague and violates students' rights to due process. One of the students is Niya Kenny, who was criminally charged for recording an incident involving a school resource officer using force to remove Kenny's classmate from a classroom. WLTX 19 reports that the Richland County Sheriff's Department agreed to provide new training for deputies who work in schools.
Clinton, Trump tighten point gap in SC
A Public Policy Polling on Thursday revealed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to be just two points ahead of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in South Carolina, according to WLTX 19. A window that small is unusual for the state, which has not voted for a Democrat since 1976. The data has raised questions of the possibility of South Carolina becoming a battleground state, and possibly voting blue in November. Jaime Harrison, South Carolina Democratic Party Chairman, sees the poll results as promising while USC professor and political analyst Robert Oldendick says a Clinton victory is "unlikely."