Benjamin praises downtown improvements in State of the City address

    Columbia mayor hails progress, encourages volunteerism in annual speech    

Filing for Student Government offices ends this afternoon

Today’s the last day to register to run for office in Student Government. Candidate filing began Tuesday morning and ends today at 4 p.m. for executive positions and for spots in Student Senate. Candidates are required to file a mandatory form and pay a registration fee — $50 for executive positions and $5 for Student Senate — in person at the Campus Life Center, in Russell House room 227. Campaigning begins officially the night of Jan. 31, and voting will take place on VIP on Feb. 19 and 20. A debate among the candidates will be held Feb. 13. The filing form can be found online at www.sa.sc.edu/sg/election-information.

In Brief: January 23, 2013

County sheriff searching for rock-throwing suspect 

Others' lives, biographers' jobs

Panel discusses Southern politicians

Man assaulted in Vista early Friday morning

Few details known about suspect who allegedly knocked victim out

USC runs out of flu vaccines, plans to order more

State sees 200 times more cases than last year

Low turnout leads to high costs per person at some Carolina Productions events

Speakers like Keith Boykin top group's per-attendee spending

Columbia Moe's featured on 'Undercover Boss'

Caterer gets $15k from company president

USC students, professors speak at local TED event

Mizzell, 'Boombox Guy' among Columbia presenters

In Brief: January 22, 2013

Hundreds serve in honor of King

MLK Day of Service kicks off week inspired by leader

USC to launch new website this semester

Redesign first in nearly 10 years, officials say

Alpha Chi Omega sorority remembers Tamborino

Sister a leader for sorority, embodied 'the true meaning of life'

Thomas Cooper roof work to be completed in April

  Replacement is first in over 30 years

In Brief: Jan. 18, 2013

Boeing 787s grounded worldwide following battery issues The Federal Aviation Administration and aviation regulators around the world grounded Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners this week after two planes’ batteries experienced issues. Last week, a lithium-ion battery caught fire on a 787 in Boston, and Wednesday, a flight in Japan made an emergency landing after an alarm warned that a battery was smoking. The planes are assembled in Boeing plants in Everett, Wash. and in North Charleston, and, so far, the company has delivered 50 787s, including four from South Carolina. The South Carolina planes have all been delivered to Air India, The (Charleston) Post and Courier reported. The airline doesn’t appear to have had battery issues, but those planes are currently grounded, according to The New York Times. Three 787s are parked on the flight line in North Charleston, according to The Post and Courier, which reports that a local spokeswoman wouldn’t say how the groundings will affect test flights. The company will continue to manufacture the planes in spite of the grounding, The Associated Press reported. —Compiled by Thad Moore, News Editor   Cats up: SC’s feline ownership ranking improves in new study As it turns out, South Carolinians just aren’t cat people. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s recently released U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook found that South Carolina ranked in the bottom 10 for states in terms of cat ownership, at No. 42. Just 27.8 percent of households in the state had a cat in 2011, according to the report. But take heart, cat owners: South Carolina’s ranking is an improvement — sort of. In 2006, the last time the group compiled the study, the state ranked No. 43, according to a press release. But in that report, more South Carolina households — 29.4 percent — had a cat. —  Compiled by Thad Moore, News Editor

In Brief: January 17, 2013