Across South Carolina

State smoking ban on hold until local ruling

COLUMBIA --- A bill that would ban smoking in restaurants and bars across South Carolina is essentially dead until the state Supreme Court rules on whether cities and towns can impose local bans, legislators said Tuesday.

The House Judiciary Committee voted 13-2 to return the bill to subcommittee, marking the second time this year the bill's been sent back to await a decision.

Rep. Garry Smith, R-Simpsonville, argued the bill should never have been on Tuesday's agenda.

Though the bill's sponsor said he will try again, the subcommittee's chairman, Rep. Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, said he will not allow the proposal to budge until the state's high court reaches a decision.

Part of highway to be named for firefighters

CHARLESTON --- Part of a coastal highway will be named for the nine Charleston firefighters killed in a June 18 furniture store blaze.

State lawmakers have approved a bill that would name a nearly 4-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 17 in honor of the firefighters. The Post and Courier of Charleston reported Tuesday that the portion of the road will be named the Charleston Nine Memorial Highway.

4 civilians watched inmates, report says

COLUMBIA --- A State Law Enforcement Division report says civilians were watching more than 100 inmates at a maximum security prison in Columbia when two men escaped last August.

The State newspaper in Columbia obtained the SLED report under the Freedom of Information Act. The report says the one correctional officer assigned to a woodworking program at the Broad River Correctional Institution was at a training class instead.

SLED says four civilian employees were supervising about 120 prisoners. Prison spokesman Josh Gelinas says the prison had no one to replace the officer that day.

Convicted killer Forest Kelly Samples and convicted burglar Andrew Legrand Storey used a makeshift ladder and another ladder to escape. Mr. Storey was recaptured quickly but Mr. Samples was free for 24 hours.

-- From wire reports