Politics

Pandemic Evictions
National News, News, Politics

The Supreme Court rules to allow evictions to resume

The court blocks the Biden administration's temporary ban put in place due to the pandemic
Associated Press,

(AP) WASHINGTON —The Supreme Court’s conservative majority is allowing evictions to resume across the United States, blocking the Biden administration from enforcing a temporary ban that was put in place because of the coronavirus pandemic. Roughly 3.5 million people in the United States said they faced eviction in the next two months, according to Census Bureau data from early August….

National News, News, Politics

Taliban takeover prompts fears of a resurgent al-Qaida

Associated Press,

WASHINGTON (AP) – The speedy Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has revived alarms about a resurgent al-Qaida and new terrorism threats against the U.S. The group’s danger to the United States had been eclipsed in the past two decades by other threats, but experts are concerned that al-Qaida could again be given unfettered safe harbor by the Taliban. The renewed attention…

Pressley Stutts
Local News, News, Politics, State

SC county Republican party leader dies from COVID-19

ABC Columbia Staff,

Pressley Stutts, then Chairman of the United Patriot Alliance, along with dozens of people gathered outside the State House September 15, 2020 holding up signs, and urging state lawmakers to stop fearing the virus. (ABC Columbia) GREENVILLE, S.C. (WOLO, AP) – A tea party Republican who recently helped turn over the party leadership in South Carolina’s largest county has died…

City Council Health
Local News, News, Politics, Richland

Columbia City Council discusses ways to strengthen pandemic response

The idea was met with mixed reviews from Council members
ABC Columbia Staff,

Columbia, SC (WOLO)— City of Columbia leadership is looking for ways to strengthen the state’s response to the pandemic and other health-related issues. During Tuesdays city council meeting, councilman Ed McDowell introduced the idea of hiring a chief health officer for the city. It’s s an idea first introduced by Mayoral candidate Sam Johnson. As expected, reactions were mixed particularly…
Local News, News, Politics, Richland, State

UofSC re-introduces mask mandate

Rob Dew,

(Courtesy: UofSC/Twitter) Columbia, S.C. (WOLO)–Within hours of the South Carolina’s Supreme Court’s opinion that UofSC’s mask mandate did not violate a state proviso which prevents schools from mandating masks, University President Dr. Harris Pastides re-instated a previously issued mask requirement for all on-campus buildings.  Dr. Pastides initially instituted the requirement in July but withdrew it after Attorney General Alan Wilson…

Lex Rich 5
Local News, News, Politics, State

Lexington Richland District 5 won’t follow county-wide mask mandate

ABC Columbia Staff,

IRMO, SC (WOLO) – Lexington Richland School District 5 has announced it will not require masks in its schools, despite a county-wide mask mandate passed Monday by the Richland County Council. The Richland County Council passed a mask mandate for all middle and elementary schools in the county.  In response the district, which has schools in both counties, released the…
Local News, News, Politics, State

Richland Two attorneys exploring possible mask requirement

ABC Columbia Staff,

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) – The possibility of a mask mandate is on the table for a Richland County school district. The Richland School District Two board voted 6-1 Monday for its attorneys to explore its legal options when it comes to mask requirements. According to the district 137 employees and students tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of August….

Mask File
Local News, News, Politics, State

Richland School District One board votes to require masks in all schools

ABC Columbia Staff,

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) – All students and staff in Richland School District One will be required to wear masks in all schools, administrative buildings, and school buses. The Richland One Board of School Commissioners made the decision at a meeting Monday evening. According to district officials there are currently eight cases of COVID-19 within the district and 110 students and…
Local News, News, Politics, State

State Senators request a special session on mask mandates

The Bi-Partisan group want members to return to reconsider a budget provisio to reverse mask madate requirements
ABC Columbia Staff,

Columbia, SC (WOLO) — A group of South Carolina Senators want lawmakers to come back to the statehouse for a special session to reconsider a budget proviso that aims to keep school districts from being able to put mask requirements in effect in state schools. Senators Brad Hutto (D-Orangeburg), Ronnie Sabb (D-Williamsburg), Luke Rankin (R-Horry), and Sandy Senn (R-Charleston) joined…

20200709nephron
Local News, News, Politics

Area drug manufacturer to require employees to get vaccinated, fired

Nephron Pharmaceuticals want all of their 2,500 employees vaccinated by 8/27
Associated Press,

Image: Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation LOGO West Columbia, SC (Associated Press) — -A South Carolina pharmaceutical company that has offered covid-19 vaccines since February — will now require all of its own employees to get the shot. Nephron Pharmaceuticals made the announcement Monday that it will require all of its more than 2-thousand workers to be fully vaccinated — or have…