News

August SC unemployment unchanged at 8.1 percent

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s unemployment rate isn’t getting any worse, but it also isn’t getting any better. The Department of Employment and Workforce said Friday that the August unemployment rate remained unchanged from July at 8.1 percent. The unemployment rate has been either 8 percent or 8.1 percent each month since April. It was 9.1 percent a year…

SC man found not guilty of threats in rap video

MANNING, S.C. (AP) — A jury has found a 26-year-old Manning man not guilty of threatening the life of a judge and a former prosecutor in a YouTube rap video. The Item of Sumter reports (http://bit.ly/1bvQxIu ) that a Clarendon County jury took five hours before acquitting Keith Gadson of charges related to the video. Gadson remains in jail awaiting…

‘Reading Rooster’ offers vibrant video book ideas

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A 79-year-old librarian in Columbia is becoming well known as the Reading Rooster for her YouTube video book recommendations for children, teachers and other librarians. Helen Fellers has spent more than 50 years getting books into kids’ hands as a storyteller, bookmobile driver and branch librarian. She is the coordinator of the South Carolina Center for…

SC closes year with higher-than-expected surplus

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) âone space€one space” South Carolina ended the fiscal year with a higher-than-expected surplus, handing legislators an additional $68 million to distribute next year. The fiscal-year closing report issued by the state’s chief accountant shows South Carolina collected more than enough taxes to fund every item on the Legislature’s priority list for surplus revenue. Comptroller Richard Eckstrom said…