The State
Forest Acres eyes ‘goatscaping’ after success in Columbia
Pumpkin is about to be a grandmother. The working goat, owned by military veteran Jacob Porter, is one of more than 100 Porter rents out across the Midlands to clear overgrown yards, jungle-like vacant lots and even large commercial property. Pumpkin...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Phones can show what stores are needed in Lexington County
Thousands of people leave Lexington County every day to spend their money somewhere else. That’s according to data collected by the town of Lexington to track what economic development circles call “leakage” — the loss of local residents’ dollars when...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Neighbors worry development in Lexington could destroy woodlands
A new development planned for downtown Lexington could create 50 new houses and potentially cut into a wooded area surrounding an existing neighborhood. Connelly Development wants to rezone 9.6 acres at 201 Old Chapin Road, the current location of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Police chief: First stabbing reports not the full story
Initial reporting on social media and elsewhere about a stranger stabbing on a sidewalk in Columbia’s upscale Shandon neighborhood lacked context and inflamed an already volatile situation, Columbia police Chief Skip Holbrook said. “I wouldn’t...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Could Irmo customers feel impact from utility company fee?
Irmo could soon require a new fee from utility operators in the town limits, and the impact could ultimately be felt by customers. A new fee could be charged on companies that provide electricity, natural gas, water and even cable and internet...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Iran crisis spills beyond Mideast; Europe ramps up response
Two Iranian drones fell into Azerbaijan on Thursday, and more Iranian strikes were reported in Israel and Iraq, the latest signs of a broadening regional conflict as a sustained campaign of U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran entered its sixth...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
South Carolina honors the Rev. Jesse Jackson
Hundreds of people honored the late Rev. Jesse Jackson in South Carolina on Monday with a public visitation at the State House and later a memorial at Brookland Baptist Church. Many never met or knew Jackson personally. But his legacy of advocating...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Here’s what’s spiking your SC power bill
You might want to take a seat when you open your power bill this month. The numbers Columbia residents have seen on their bills have popped some eyes, with many people on social media complaining about steep increases in what they would normally see...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Will Richland County have to work with ICE for immigration enforcement?
Richland County could be made to contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under a proposal detractors say will raise tensions between community members and federal immigration efforts. The bill, in early stages of the legislative...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
From 8 measles cases in 34 years to a historic outbreak in SC
South Carolina is at the epicenter of the nation’s largest measles outbreak in more than a quarter-century. As of Friday, 950 people across six counties — most of them unvaccinated children — had been infected with the highly contagious virus since...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Jesse Jackson, civil rights titan and SC native, has died at 84
South Carolina native and long time civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson died. He was 84. Jackson’s daughter, Santita Jackson, confirmed that her father died Tuesday at home in Chicago, surrounded by family, the Associated Press reported. Jackson...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SC justices question prosecution on jury tampering, evidence
Questions about whether jury tampering and improper prosecution evidence spoiled convicted killer Alex Murdaugh’s right to a fair trial dominated an unusually long appeals hearing before a packed courtroom Wednesday at the S.C. Supreme Court. All five...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Panel approves North Main gas station opposed by residents
For decades, neighbors along North Main Street have looked at the busy Sunset Drive intersection and imagined something more than another place for cars to pull in and out of. Talk of a redevelopment that would help shift the corridor toward something...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Blowfish playing field undergoing renovations
When the Blowfish take the field later this spring, they will be doing it on a new field. The local ball club will still be playing at Lexington County Baseball Stadium. But the natural grass surface is being replaced with AstroTurf for the 2026...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Pollution, politics threaten Congaree National Park
Fifty years after the federal government saved the Congaree swamp from industrial scale logging, the 27,000 acre nature preserve faces a rash of other threats that have the attention of scientists and conservationists. The swamp, protected in 1976 and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
In final State of the State, Gov. McMaster looks to future
With less than a year left in his term, Gov. Henry McMaster sought to look at what the state would be like after he leaves office. McMaster, South Carolina’s longest serving governor, delivered his ninth and final State of the State address Wednesday....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Three SC chefs named culinary ambassadors by Gov. McMaster
A trio of culinary experts has been tapped to represent South Carolina and help promote key pieces of the state’s economy. Gov. Henry McMaster on Thursday named South Carolina’s 2026 Chef Ambassadors, marking the 12th year the state has doled out...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Which downtown Columbia bridge has the most car crashes?
Each day, three downtown bridges funnel more than 83,000 drivers between downtown Columbia and Lexington County — college students heading home to student apartment complexes across the Congaree River, state government workers coming into town from...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Hints of the ’28 campaign come to ’26 SC King Day
Even though nearly 290 days remain until the 2026 midterm elections, the specter of the 2028 presidential campaign was evident at the annual King Day at the Dome event. Potential 2028 presidential candidates U.S. Sen. Cory Booker and U.S. Rep. Ro...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
State GOP lawmakers push for stricter abortion restrictions
Rescheduling mifepristone, pulling Medicaid funds for some family planning providers and penalizing abortion like homicide are all proposals in front of South Carolina lawmakers this year to further restrict abortion access. However, not all bills...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Huge Columbia crowds greet Buddhist monks on Walk for Peace
Thousands turned out on the streets of Columbia on Saturday to watch as the cross-country Walk for Peace passed through South Carolina’s capital city. Two dozen Buddhist monks and Aloka the Peace Dog have been walking from their home temple in Texas...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Wave of new student housing coming to Rosewood neighborhood
A wave of new student housing projects is descending on one of Columbia’s oldest neighborhoods. At least four new projects aimed at students are either now leasing, under construction or proposed for lots in the area of Rosewood nearest WilliamsBrice...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lexington gives final approval for annexation of subdivision
Officials for the town of Lexington signed off on a nearly 300-home subdivision that sits just outside the town limits at its Monday night meeting. The plan, to bring 299 single-family homes to a 191-acre plot of land along Barr Road and just off West...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Spring Valley man in hate crime case to remain in jail
A 34-year-old white Richland County man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a federal hate crime charge violating the housing rights of a Black neighbor and a separate charge of using a firearm in a crime of violence. No bond was set for Jonathan Felkel of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Bitty & Beau’s owners close shop for renovations, rebrand
Bitty & Beau’s, the coffee shop chain in the Vista that focuses on employing workers with intellectual disabilities, has closed its doors. The husband and wife duo that operate the shop have a new concept in mind. A little more than a year after...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Murder brings Staley, Harpootlian and serial killer together
Two of South Carolina’s best-known people from different worlds — famed University of South Carolina women’s basketball Coach Dawn Staley and legal lion Dick Harpootlian of the notorious “Murdaugh Murders” case — teamed up last week to do a kind of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SC food stamp program could cost $38M more to run annually
South Carolina’s federal food benefits program may be nearly $38 million more expensive to run annually and require 31 new employees, according to a budget request from the state Department of Social Services. Administering the Supplemental Nutrition...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Homeowner blames development for trees falling on house
Linda Shanabrook’s husband was asleep in their bedroom when a tree fell through their roof. He was unharmed, but he was quite a sight when he emerged from the bedroom. “He came out covered in insulation and plaster,” Shanabrook said. The damage was...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Steve Taneyhill, ‘a pillar of Gamecock history,’ dies at 52
Former South Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill died Monday. Taneyhill was 52 years old and had been battling cancer. “Gamecock Nation mourns the loss of Steve Taneyhill, a pillar of Gamecock history. Our thoughts are with his loved ones. Rest in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Church advertised financial help; dozens were turned away
Residents in unincorporated Richland County were promised an opportunity to get help paying for rent, utilities, childcare and other expenses during a special outreach event Dec. 10 and 11 at Brookland Baptist Northeast church. But just days before it...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Bizarre tale of Murdaugh clerk ends with guilty pleas, no time
Rebecca “Becky” Hill, whose career as Colleton County clerk of court began in obscurity, rose to stardom and finished in disgrace, capped a bizarre subplot in the Alex Murdaugh murder saga Monday by pleading guilty to state charges of misconduct,...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Can funding for prevention groups lower teen gun violence?
While working as a probation officer in South Carolina, Zakiya Mickle noticed a lack of opportunities for young offenders to complete their courtordered service. She began Sowing Seeds into the Midlands in 2013 to give children from Richland and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
White House backs Hegseth, confirms 2nd boat strike
The White House defended the Pentagon’s handling of a September attack on an alleged drug-running boat and denied that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had given an order to kill everyone on the vessel, rebutting a report that had led to allegations of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SC judge-picking process begins; some seek reforms
Standing in front of a 12-person commission, a court reporter and judiciary committee staff, candidates for judgeships answer questions about their temperament and their experiences on legal issues, and respond to comments left in anonymous...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Audit of charter school district advises state law changes
South Carolina’s largest charter school district has accepted donations from businesses that provide it services and provide services to its schools, and “likely” used public funds to financially support a nonprofit that offers teacher training and...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lawsuit: School district site flooded homes
Stormwater from a now-terminated construction project in Lower Richland has routinely flooded a nearby neighborhood, severely damaging several homes and infrastructure, according to a new lawsuit. And the homeowners claim there is no end in...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Finlay Park won’t allow most backpacks, purses
Columbia will re-open downtown’s Finlay Park for the first time in years Nov. 15, but you won’t be allowed to bring your backpack, purse, picnic basket or other opaque bag. The city says there will be a standing clear-bag policy at the park. The...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Gas station owner denied immunity in 2023 shooting
A Circuit Court judge denied immunity for a former gas station owner who reportedly gunned down a 14-year-old on Memorial Day weekend in 2023. Rick Chow will stand trial for the killing of Cyrus Carmack-Belton, following the conclusion of an immunity...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Water finally flowing in Finlay Park’s iconic fountain
The grand reopening of Columbia’s Finlay Park — once considered the “crown jewel” of the city’s parks system — may still be a couple of weeks away, but on Monday an iconic piece of the park could be seen gushing once more. The spiral fountain on the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
New USC-affiliated apartment floods, some students relocated
A luxury student apartment complex affiliated with the University of South Carolina just opened. It’s already having problems. Gateway 737, a 650,000-square-foot facility on Gadsden Street across from neighboring Colonial Life Arena, bills itself as a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Columbia thoroughfare rerouted as sinkhole forms downtown
A sinkhole has begun forming near a heavily trafficked intersection at the city’s center. A main downtown Columbia thoroughfare will be re-routed this week as the City of Columbia works to repair the damage. Assembly Street between Gervais and Lady...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Opening date for Columbia’s Finlay Park was delayed
A shiny, new Finlay Park, has been a long time coming in Columbia. And while the opening date is getting closer, there’s still more to be done. The $24 million project to restore the city’s once-renowned park, which had fallen into disrepair since...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Thousands march at state capitol for ‘No Kings’ protest
Thousands of people protesting President Donald Trump’s leadership marched peacefully Saturday on Main Street and covered the state capitol grounds in Columbia, waving signs and cheering speeches that derided the president and his policies. They...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
USC fans, get ready for the ‘Mother of All Fair Games’
Top off your gas tanks and ask the Lord for patience, Gamecocks fans. The “fair game” is upon us. One of the unique quirks — which is either charming or annoying, depending on your point of view — of University of South Carolina football fandom is the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Murdaugh accomplice Laffitte sentenced to 8 years in prison
After four years of criminal charges, guilty pleas and humiliation, ex-banker Russell Laffitte had nothing to say. “Your honor, I don’t think Mr. Laffitte wants to address the court,” Laffitte’s lawyer Mark Moore told S.C. Judge Heath Taylor on Monday...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
County remembers councilman’s Mountain Dew-drinking camel
For nearly three decades, a 7-foottall camel owned by a Lexington County councilman and the county coroner brought joy and the message of Jesus across Lexington. A Christian minister who never spoke a word. An avid Mountain Dew drinker. The A-list...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Local brewery closes its taproom after 8 years
Columbia Craft Brewing Company has closed its taproom, located just outside the Vista, owners announced on social media Monday. The brewery and taproom, which opened its doors in Columbia in 2017, will continue to produce and distribute beer...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Columbia Canal repairs to continue at least 2 to 3 years
Visitors to Columbia’s Riverfront Park should expect to see construction for at least the next two or three years, as after a decade of waiting the city is finally in the midst of construction to repair the Columbia canal after it was damaged during...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Murdaugh financial crime partner gets 5 years in prison
The legal consequences and public humiliation for once-respected exbanker Russell Laffitte, who helped Alex Murdaugh steal millions in a massive South Carolina banking and law firm fraud scandal, continued Monday when a federal judge sentenced Laffitte...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Retiring clothing shop owner beat cancer, deportation threat
Across more than three decades, Jaya Tolani has outfitted Columbia. From her Looking Good menswear shop at 6531 Two Notch Road, Tolani has helped dress out countless members of local church choirs. Boys who needed a needed a new suit for Easter. Men...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
‘Truck load’ of alcohol seized at Columbia gas station
Law enforcement officials on Monday seized boxes of alcohol from the former Obama Mart gas station at 5831 North Main St., which had been illegally selling it despite a court ruling denying the store a permit to sell off-premises beer and wine. Area...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lawsuit: Watts says SLED, Irmo broke law in poker game raid
Irmo police and the State Law Enforcement Division seemed to hold all the cards last year when they raided a poker game of Texas Hold ’em in an office suite and arrested 11 players, including well-known former Richland County coroner Gary Watts. After...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
How long will fans have to wait for Williams-Brice sidewalks?
For seven weekends each fall, nearly 80,000 fans descend on WilliamsBrice Stadium in Columbia. For thousands of those Gamecock fans, their only way to the University of South Carolina’s stadium has involved a dangerous trek along four- to six-lane...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
USC football’s home opener: Tips for navigating game day
The boys are back in town. A week after the University of South Carolina football team opened its 2025 campaign with a 24-11 victory over Virginia Tech at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, it is now set to host the first home game of the season. The...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Skyline ride takes flight at Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
After years of discussion, planning and construction, it is now possible to fly across the Saluda River. Riverbanks Zoo and Garden has officially launched the Saluda Skyride, a new attraction that will transport visitors across a picturesque section...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SC federal judges warn of funding shortfall
Six federal judges in South Carolina, including Chief U.S. Judge Timothy Cain, have written a letter highlighting a critical money shortage in the state’s federal criminal justice system. The situation they shine a light on involves a lack of federal...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
USC active shooter calls a hoax, officials say
The University of South Carolina Police Department received two calls around 6:30 p.m. Sunday evening reporting gunfire at Thomas Cooper Library in the heart of the Columbia campus. Minutes later at 6:34 p.m., students, parents and community members...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Fallen SC trooper Ricks laid to rest, honored for service
At more than 6 feet tall, S.C. Trooper First Class Dennis Ricks was a gentle giant with an even bigger heart. He loved his wife. He loved his job. He loved to laugh. Ricks was remembered for those traits Wednesday during a funeral service in Columbia...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Some local restaurants finding homes inside other businesses
Sometimes a new restaurant needs an extra revenue stream. Sometimes a bar needs food service to keep its liquor license and lower insurance. And other times, a store full of imported goods needs a hedge against economic uncertainty. These are the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Inside Rush’s switch from and return to its classic fries
The people of the Midlands certainly have their passions. Some, for instance, live and die with the fates of the athletic teams at the University of South Carolina, particularly the Gamecocks’ football and women’s basketball squads. Others find solace...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Columbia must pay former car wash owner $5.5M, judge rules
Columbia must pay a former car wash owner who had to shut down a 75-year-old business, a court ruled on Monday. The owner of Constan Car Wash will receive $5.5 million from the city because Columbia ordered the business to remove a barrier that led to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Norfolk Southern suing over 2022 Columbia derailment
Three years after a Norfolk Southern train derailed, injuring two employees, the rail company is taking the owners of a Richland County pasta facility to federal court. In a lawsuit filed July 1, Norfolk Southern alleges that American Italian Pasta...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Man pleads guilty in sabotage of chicken processing plant
A 52-year-old man who threatened public health by using a remote cellphone linkup to sabotage food cleaning at a Sumter chicken processing plant pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Columbia. William Jason Taylor pleaded guilty to one count of...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
What’s led to the explosive growth of Lexington’s Red Bank?
The sights and sounds of progress were readily apparent on a recent bright, hot summer morning in the Red Bank area of Lexington County. Construction workers in helmets and bright shirts with tool belts dangling from their hips were perched on roofs...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Cayce city manager left over tension with mayor, letter says
The former city manager of Cayce left the city’s top administrative position less than a year into the job over frustrations with longtime Mayor Elise Partin, a document obtained by The State shows. “I feel that we are operating under two councils....
Read Full Story (Page 1)
How restaurant inspections changed after DHEC split
In the year since South Carolina split its health agency in two and moved some functions to longtime agencies, the state’s agriculture department, now in charge of restaurant safety inspections, has beefed up both its staff and enforcement. When the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Contraband phones fuel crime in SC prisons, grand jury warns
Two imprisoned brothers who coordinated a methamphetamine ring with a Mexican cartel. An inmate who allegedly amassed $1 million through money laundering and trafficking marijuana. A woman who sent pornographic pictures of her underage daughter to a...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
USC intersections raise safety concerns after fatality
The roadways near an intersection on the USC campus where a student was killed in April are notoriously hazardous, with an average of one serious wreck a month, according to data. Nate Baker, a student at the University of South Carolina, was killed...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
As Columbia invests to be a top city, will taxes go up?
In recent years, Columbia has made big investments to push itself forward — to entice more residents, improve quality of life and move out of the shadow of other South Carolina cities that may carry more clout. But becoming the city it wants to become...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Historic Columbia furniture store set for luxury renovations
Luxury apartments, destination dining, modern office space and more are envisioned for three historic properties in Columbia’s Vista neighborhood. The century-old buildings in question most recently housed Whit-Ash Furnishings, which closed last year...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lost bones of serial killer Pee Wee Gaskins’ victim found
The long lost bones of one victim of South Carolina serial killer Donald “Pee Wee” Gaskins have been found in a box in a storage closet at the College of Charleston. The bones belong to Martha Ann Dicks, a 19-year-old woman who disappeared in the...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Lexington County officials OK with drop in EMS revenues
In the year after Lexington County began contracting with a third-party, private medical company to handle less critical calls for help, collections for rides in county ambulances dropped by more than a quarter. The amount of money collected for...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
As thousands protest, has SC’s approval of Trump shifted?
Several thousand protesters descended on the South Carolina State House Saturday to oppose President Donald Trump. “My concern is the constitution,” said Martha Barnette, 69, who stood alongside her brother holding a sign that read, “Save our...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
Columbia pauses Airbnb permits after deadly shooting
A law enforcement official leaves an Airbnb at 2408 Lincoln Friday, June, 6, 2025. There was a shooting at the house earlier in the morning, leaving three people injured and one dead. Columbia has paused issuing any new residential permits for...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
SC state senator challenges lawmaker pay raise in court
A state senator and one of his former colleagues are going to the state Supreme Court to stop the pay increase for lawmakers approved by the General Assembly. State Sen. Wes Climer, R-York, filed a lawsuit Friday that says the $1,500 a month increase...
Read Full Story (Page 1)
McMaster vetoes parking plan for new Lake Murray park
A new park in the Midlands is now set to open without parking restrictions after action by the governor. Gov. Henry McMaster has vetoed a proviso in the 2025-26 state budget that would have required a new state park on Lake Murray to limit visitors to...
Read Full Story (Page 1)