Staff reports | President Joe Biden will speak today to December graduates of S.C. State University, alma mater of his friend and important political ally U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C. It’s Biden’s first visit as president since the 2020 election, which Clyburn helped to secure by throwing his support to Biden in the crucial early S.C. presidential primary. More.
On Thursday, Biden presented the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award for valor in combat, to three soldiers, including South Carolina native Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Celiz, 32, an Army Ranger who died after stepping between Taliban fighters and a U.S. helicopter evacuating wounded in 2018 in Afghanistan. Katie Celiz, his wife, recalled her husband’s bravery in this story in The Post and Courier.
Also on the political front, members of the Democratic National Committee’s executive committee — including Chair and S.C. native Jaime Harrison — and the national Association of State Democratic Committees, have been meeting in Charleston this week to talk strategy and sit in on training sessions geared toward organizing and running political campaigns. More: Charleston City Paper
In other recent news:
Midwestern utility executive tapped to lead Santee Cooper. The board of Santee Cooper approved Thursday the hiring of Jimmy Staton, who currently leads Kentucky-based gas company Southern Star Corp., as the utility’s next president and CEO.
S.C. House committee meets on congressional redistricting maps. New maps for U.S. House seats released by a S.C. House committee differ significantly from boundaries drawn up by the Senate, according to the Associated Press. As former Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Joe Cunningham launched an effort to keep Charleston’s congressional district together, the General Assembly faced concerns over splitting S.C.’s coastal communities take center stage
S.C. education oversight panel recommends state sales tax. The South Carolina Education Oversight Committee is recommending using a one-cent sales tax to support public education to get public education back on track following the coronavirus pandemic’s effect on staffing and education in the state. More: WISTV.
Omicron confirmed in South Carolina. At least three cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant have been confirmed in South Carolina as of Wednesday, according to officials with the Medical University of South Carolina. All three cases were reported from the Lowcountry. The earliest confirmed sample was from Dec. 4, meaning the variant has been in the state for several weeks. State health officials said they expected a spike in the demand for COVID-19 tests before the holidays. They also urged more people to get vaccinated as the Omicron variant spreads.
S.C. man to get three years probation for role in Jan. 6 riot. A South Carolina man avoided prison and was sentenced to three years of probation for his “minimal” role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. More: The Washington Post.
S.C. legislator pleads not guilty to pair of misconduct charges. S.C. Rep. Richard Martin, R-Newberrym, pleaded not guilty to a pair of misconduct charges Dec. 14, including one allegation of providing alcohol to a minor. More: WIS TV.
Former GOP gubernatorial candidate launches Bitcoin venture. Businessman and former Gov. Henry McMaster rival John Warren will be a part of a venture investing in GEM Mining. Warren is leaving the door open for a return to politics.
S.C. ports agency to pay total $51.5M to address rail-related traffic backup. The agency that owns and operates the Port of Charleston will pay $40 million to the city of North Charleston to settle a nearly decades-long dispute involving overpasses on city streets where miles-long trains regularly block traffic. The agreement follows an earlier settlement of $11.5 million to pay for 2.5 acres of city-owned property where the rail yard’s southern loop would be built. More: The Post and Courier.
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