Across South Carolina

SC environmental group fights permit for nuke dump

COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina environmentalists hope a court will force a nuclear waste dump in Barnwell County to bury its garbage differently.

The State of Columbia reports the Sierra Club wants Chem-Nuclear to plug holes in burial vaults and line trenches with plastic instead of clay to make sure rainwater that falls on the garbage doesn't contaminate groundwater.

The state Court of Appeals is hearing the Sierra Club's challenge to Chem-Nuclear's operating permit for the dump, which buries waste from South Carolina and two other states. The dump used to be open to the entire country.

Chem-Nuclear says the landfill is safe and there have been no health problems reported by nearby residents. State environmental officials say the operating permit was properly issued.

Columbia, Charleston set records for rain in Dec.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Some places in South Carolina have already seen the rainiest December since records were first kept over a century ago.

The National Weather Service says Christmas Day rains made 2009 the wettest December ever in downtown Charleston and the Columbia Metropolitan Airport.

Charleston has seen 9.97 inches of rain this month, shattering the old record of 5.52 inches in 1976. Columbia has recorded 9.06 inches of rain, breaking the 1981 mark of 8.54 inches.

It has been a rainy December all over the state. Greenville has reported 8.51 inches of rain, North Myrtle Beach has received 8.13 inches of rain, and Orangeburg has picked up 7.14 inches. The average is about 3 to 4 inches.

Forecasters say there is one more shot at rain this month Wednesday and Thursday.

2 SC men arrested in Christmas death of Tenn. man

GREENVILLE, S.C. - Police say they have arrested two South Carolina men wanted for the Christmas day shooting of a Tennessee man trying to act as a peacemaker in an argument.

Authorities told multiple media outlets that 26-year-old Julian Battle and 26-year-old Clinton Owens were arrested on murder charges Friday afternoon, about 12 hours after the shooting in a Greenville home.

Investigators say Owens was arguing with a woman when Rafael Dodd tried to intervene. Battle then started arguing with Dodd and shot him in the chest.

Authorities say Dodd was from Memphis, Tenn., and was visiting the area for the holidays.

Owens and Battle remain in the Greenville County jail. It wasn't immediately clear if they had attorneys.

Bird watchers invited to wildlife refuge in SC

SUMMERTON, S.C. - Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to count birds at a federal wildlife refuge in South Carolina.

The Santee National Wildlife Refuge will hold its 28th annual Santee Christmas Bird Count on Saturday from dawn to dusk.

The designated count area includes the refuge, Santee State Park, the town of Santee and half of Summerton.

Park ranger Susan Heisey says bird counters don't have to be experts. She invites residents to spend a peaceful day outdoors during the hectic holiday season.

The refuge includes more than 15,000 acres along the north shore of Lake Marion in Clarendon County. People have spotted an average of 130 species in previous counts.

The National Audubon Society is coordinating the nationwide Christmas Bird Count from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5.