Interim U.S. attorney for state is named
COLUMBIA --- A federal prosecutor has been named acting U.S. attorney for South Carolina.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin McDonald says his first day as interim chief will be Saturday.
Mr. McDonald will replace Reggie Lloyd, who was confirmed earlier this month by state senators as the next chief of the State Law Enforcement Division.
The 41-year-old Mr. Lloyd becomes the first black leader of SLED in its 60-year history. He was South Carolina's first black U.S. attorney since Reconstruction.
House panel approves bill on sex offenders
COLUMBIA --- A House panel has again approved a bill limiting where certain sex offenders can live.
The legislation says people convicted of sex crimes against children can't live within a thousand feet of places where children gather, including parks, schools, ballfields and day-care centers.
The bill returns to the House Judiciary Committee, which had sent it back to the panel to work out some details.
The proposal now specifies that the 1,000-foot restriction would be measured from the home's property line to the nearest boundary of the other property.
State Sheriff's Association Executive Director Jeff Moore says he thinks the legislation would force sex offenders to move to rural areas.
Inquiry of Sanford's role in sale sought
COLUMBIA --- State Sen. Brad Hutto says he is filing legislation that calls for an investigation of Gov. Mark Sanford's involvement in the sale of a port land near Beaufort.
Mr. Hutto told the Senate on Wednesday that an investigation is the only way to get answers to questions about Mr. Sanford's involvement in selling the valuable waterfront Port Royal property.
Mr. Sanford's office has said it would welcome an impartial investigation.
Colleges lack radios in case of emergency
COLUMBIA --- A number of colleges in South Carolina don't have radios that could allow them to communicate with law enforcement agencies during a crisis, several top law enforcement leaders said Wednesday.
State Law Enforcement Division Maj. Mark Keel said officials are currently surveying state colleges to see how many need the equipment, which costs about $5,000 per radio
"We all know that minutes can mean the difference between life and death for our students, teachers and administrators," Maj. Keel said at a Senate hearing.
Taxpayers would fund legal fight over water
COLUMBIA --- South Carolina taxpayers would pay $1.4 million in a legal fight against North Carolina over water in the Catawba River under a plan passed by state budget writers.
The money is about half of what South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster thinks it will cost to try and stop two cities in North Carolina from drawing millions of gallons of water from the river, which provides drinking water and electricity to both states.
Mr. McMaster said his office has already spent $200,000 since suing North Carolina in June. South Carolina wants the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case directly to save money and prevent years of legal wrangling.
"These costs are far in excess of those normally encountered in our regular litigation," he said in a Feb. 15 letter to Gov. Mark Sanford and budget leaders obtained by The (Columbia) State.
The state House Ways and Means Committee has approved giving Mr. McMaster $1.4 million of the $1.8 million. And one member who represents a district near the river said he had no problem giving Mr. McMaster the money in a tight budget year.
-- Associated Press
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