Author: Tim Scott

Former, current Gamecock student athletes call on UofSC to take Strom Thurmond’s name off fitness center

The fitness center has been named after the former U.S. Senator since 2003

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) –Several former and current Gamecock athletes are calling on the University of South Carolina to change the name of the fitness center named after former U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond. Gamecock Women’s Basketball Head Coach Dawn Staley said changing the name would help make the campus feel like a more welcoming place for all. “I go to grocery…

Lumber prices rise to record high due to increase in demand during pandemic

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Several people have taken up home improvements during the pandemic, something that has greatly helped the lumber industry.  The South Carolina Forestry Commission says the price of lumber has increased to record highs over the last few weeks. Tim Adams, the Commission’s Development Director says about 20% of the high-quality lumber produced in South Carolina goes…

Students support new UofSC campus safety measures as new semester begins

Students are required to wear masks and socially distance whenever possible

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO)  — The University of South Carolina had its first day of classes Thursday, but it had a different feeling than most starts to a school year. With the semester starting in the midst of the pandemic, thousands of students were back on campus, all while wearing masks. The sun was glistening over the shoulders of hundreds of students…

Richland County Coroner: COVID-19 not listed on death certificates without a test

DHEC says only a coroner or medical examiner can make the determination if a person died from the virus

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) –One person who has seen the true impact of COVID-19 firsthand is your county’s coroner. South Carolinas Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) says a coroner or medical examiner has the power to determine if someone’s cause of death is COVID-19. When working on death investigations prior to the pandemic, Richland County Coroner Gary Watts told…

S.C. school districts scramble to fill teaching vacancies as school year nears

SC for Ed says there are currently 1,054 vacant teaching jobs across the state

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Some schools across the state opened their doors  Monday for the first time since March, but some are still looking to fill their classrooms with teachers. Teacher advocacy group SC for Ed is reporting 1,064 teaching vacancies statewide as of Monday.  According to the data, Richland One currently has the most openings (134), followed by Charleston…

12 more arrests made in connection with late May riots in Richland County

RCSD says there have been 95 arrests made since May 30

RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. (WOLO) — Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said more people have been taken into custody for their roles in riots following peaceful protests last May. The Sheriff says 12 more people have been arrested in the last month, bringing the total of people arrested for their roles in the riots up to 95. For nearly three months,…

Testing backlog? DHEC explains decline in testing numbers

DHEC's Public Health Director said demand of tests, lab capacity, supplies factor into the smaller numbers

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — State health leaders want 500,000 South Carolinians to go through COVID-19 testing every mont, but in the last week, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) says the number of samples tested has actually gone down.  In the last three weeks, DHEC says they have run an average of 7,000 COVID-19 testing samples per day….

S.C. lawmakers want 500,000 South Carolinians tested per month

Members of the Reopen SC Committee say this number is necessary for surveillance and mitigation

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Lawmakers listened to testimony from public health experts about how the state is continuing to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Some legislators want to see the state test 500,000 people per month, which would be 10% of the state’s population. In the last five months, more than 800,000 South Carolinians have been tested for COVID-19. The state is…

Columbia businesses anxiously await final decision from SEC on if football will be played this fall

The Columbia Chamber says retail businesses, hotels, restaurants, and bars could lose customers if a season is not played

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Several businesses across Columbia are anxiously awaiting a decision from the SEC on if they will play football this fall. Even if games are played with fewer fans in the stands, some business experts say this will still have an impact on some businesses’ bottom lines. Lindsay Hammer, the Retail Manager for Barefoot Campus Outfitter in…