GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) _ An 18-year-old man from Greenville County has been sentenced to 27 years in prison for shooting his mother to death on Mother's Day last year

The mystery of how a suspected kidnapper reportedly abducted a Midlands teenager and there was no forced entry to the home from where she was taken, is solved by a house key that the suspect had all along.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) _ Environmental groups say a federal lawsuit challenging South Carolina's planned $35 million cruise terminal should be heard in Washington because the issue is of national importance.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) _ There was no Sun Fun Festival to kick off the tourist season in Myrtle Beach this year. It doesn't look like the festival will return next year, either.

HARTSVILLE, S.C. (AP) _ A Hartsville man has died in an accident at a paper plant.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced last month that it has approved the 2012-2013 influenza (flu) vaccine formulation, and medical officials encourage you to get vaccinated early.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP) _ Tourists have continued to come to South Carolina's Grand Strand, but they're not spending as much money there as they used to.

ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) _ Two barking pit bulls are credited for helping two people, including a woman in a wheelchair, escape a burning house in Rock Hill before it exploded.

Educators across the nation are using wake-up calls recorded by celebrities, weekend make-up classes and other creative strategies to convince students and parents that regular attendance matters - and not just for grades and achievement.

Drivers, there's an area you'll want to avoid on Labor Day.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) _ A woman has been killed in an apartment fire in Spartanburg. Spartanburg firefighters were called to the apartment complex about 6 p.m. Thursday.