Across South Carolina

Barbecue ban is upheld in appeals court ruling

COLUMBIA - The Court of Appeals has upheld a judge's decision to dismiss a lawsuit against four grocery store chains filed by a Confederate flag supporter angry the stores stopped carrying his barbecue sauce.

The chains stopped selling Maurice Bessinger's mustard-based sauce in 2000 after the businessman raised the Confederate flag over his Midlands restaurants and distributed literature with such titles as The South Was Right and Myths of American Slavery.

Mr. Bessinger had sued Piggly Wiggly, Bi-Lo, Kroger and Publix, saying the stores violated the South Carolina Unfair Trade Practices Act when they removed his sauce from their shelves.

Dive teams find body of ATV wreck victim

MYRTLE BEACH - Dive teams on Monday found the body of a 6-year-old girl involved in an all-terrain vehicle accident, authorities said.

The body of Ke'Ajah Greene was recovered from a retention pond at about 9 a.m. Monday, said Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Dan Bellamy. He said the girl had been in the water since 3:30 p.m. Sunday, when the ATV she was riding crashed into the pond.

Mr. Bellamy said 19-year-old Brandon Greene of Little River, who had been riding on a separate vehicle, jumped into the water to save his niece and also drowned.

Coal-train cars jump tracks in Prosperity

PROSPERITY - A CSX train carrying coal from Tennessee to the Columbia area derailed in Newberry County.

No one was injured when 20 of the train's 99 cars left the tracks in Prosperity on Sunday, said Jane Covington, CSX spokeswoman.

It was unclear why the train derailed, blocking three major railroad crossings.

Collector buys letter by Dickens for $3,315

SUMMERVILLE - A letter attributed to Charles Dickens and a leather-bound printing of his works was sold at auction for $3,315.

The Timrod Library sold the letter and the 32-volume collection Saturday in a sealed-bid auction. The letter, dated July 9, 1866, was glued to the inside cover of one of the books, published in 1894 by Houghton Mifflin.

The auction winner was Jack Williams, a book collector from Summerville.