Across South Carolina

Woman dies after fall at plant in Rock Hill

ROCK HILL - A 42-year-old Charlotte, N.C., woman has died after she fell at a closed plant being torn down in Rock Hill.

Giselle Prairie fell 8 feet at the Celanese plant near Interstate 77 last week, authorities said.

An investigation into the incident could take up to six weeks, and no more information will be released until then, said Lesia Kudelka, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

Cel-River Services, which is in charge of demolishing the plant site, has called the death tragic but refused to comment further.

Ms. Prairie is at least the fourth fatality at the plant since 1974, state officials said.

Workers have been tearing down most of the buildings on the 1,000-acre industrial site for months. The plant closed last year.

Cause of deadly fire in Swansea unknown

COLUMBIA - Investigators are still unclear what caused a fire that killed a 63-year-old Swansea woman who used a wheelchair and was unable to get out of her home.

Linda Carol Robinson died Thursday night in the fire that happened while her husband was away from the house running errands, investigators said.

An autopsy Friday was inconclusive, Lexington County Coroner Harry Harman said. He said he has ordered forensic tests to determine what killed Mrs. Robinson, who also used an oxygen tank to aid her breathing.

Teen charged after bragging on MySpace

ANDERSON - An Anderson teen charged with assault in connection with a shootout that killed a 15-year-old boy last month now faces additional charges after bragging about another shooting on the Internet, police say.

LaRicky Harkness, 19, recounted shooting from his car at a passing vehicle along one of Anderson's busiest streets July 3 on the Web site MySpace.com, police said.

Two bullets struck the passing car, but none of the five people inside was injured, police said.

The owner of the car didn't report the incident to police because she said she didn't think it was serious.

The Web entries were discovered by deputies investigating the shooting death of 15-year-old Jarvaris Clinkscales in a parking lot July 10.

Family suing police over their son's death

CHARLESTON - The family of a North Charleston teen who collapsed in police custody and later died is suing police and detention center officers, saying officials failed to get their son adequate medical attention.

Travone Bell, 16, died March 1, 2005, after collapsing more than a week earlier at the Charleston County Detention Center.

An autopsy showed he died of cocaine intoxication.

The lawsuit contends that officers should have known Mr. Travone had consumed cocaine because a small bag pulled from the teen's mouth was moist and had been punctured.

- Edited from wire reports