Across South Carolina

Collision kills four in Calhoun County

ST. MATTHEWS - Four people were killed in a collision on U.S. Highway 176 in Calhoun County late Saturday night, troopers say.

A pickup left the right side of the road near a curve, then came back across the center line and struck a Mercury Cougar, according to the Highway Patrol.

Troopers said alcohol might have contributed to the wreck, which happened about 10 miles west of St. Matthews.

The driver of the pickup, 41-year-old Tiziano Betti, and a front-seat passenger, 50-year-old Karen Shealy, died at the scene, Coroner Donnie Porth said.

A passenger in the second row of seats in the pickup was ejected and injured, troopers said.

Two people in the Mercury were trapped inside and died before rescue crews could cut them out, the coroner said. They were the driver, 60-year-old David Johnson, and his 63-year-old sister, Sadie Glover.

Group advocates controlled burning

CHARLESTON - A group says the best way to prevent catastrophic wildfires in South Carolina is to fight fire with fire.

So-called prescribed burns are the cheapest and most effective way to prevent massive wildfires, said Ernie Wiggers, the chairman of the South Carolina Prescribed Fire Council.

"Without fires, the vegetation builds up, and if we have a lightning strike, we've got a problem on our hands," he said.

Every year, landowners burn roughly 363,000 acres in controlled burns. The South Carolina Forestry Commission says nearly a million acres should go up in smoke.

Proposal would allow some heat cutoffs

GREENVILLE - A proposal by state regulators to protect consumers from heat cutoffs during extremely cold weather would be based on the average temperature instead of the actual temperatures.

The Greenville News reported Sunday that the proposal by the Office of Regulator Staff would prohibit public and private gas and electric companies from cutting service when the average temperature during a 48-hour period is expected to drop to 32 degrees or colder from December through March.

That means power could be cut off on days when the actual temperature dips as low as the 20-degree range but rises enough during the day to get the average reading above freezing.

The General Assembly is set to consider the proposal when it reconvenes in January.