Gov. Haley names new chief of staff

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Gov. Nikki Haley is naming former Rep. Ted Pitts as her next chief of staff. Haley’s office told The Associated Press that Pitts will replace Bryan Stirling, who is taking the helm of the state prisons agency. Pitts has been a deputy chief of staff since Haley took office in January 2011, serving as a liaison to legislators and agencies. The 41-year-old major in the South Carolina Army National Guard represented Lexington in the state House from 2003 until 2010. Pitts received a Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan in 2010. Haley says Pitts understands her administration’s priorities and knows how to put them into action. His salary will be $128,750. Haley named Stirling last week as her choice to lead the Corrections Department, replacing retiring director Bill Byars.