MORNING HEADLINES | Following wet Upstate weather Sunday and as severe storms move in this afternoon, state officials today called off a statewide burning ban in 41 of South Carolina’s 46 counties this morning. More than 10,000 acres have burned.
But a burning ban will remain in effect in the smoky Upstate’s Pickens, Oconee, Greenville and Spartanburg counties as well as Horry County on the coast. The partially-contained Table Rock Fire in Pickens County has grown into the nation’s most severe wildfire, officials said over the weekend.
On Friday, Gov. Henry McMaster looked over the landscape around Table Rock State Park.
“It’s one of the most beautiful places in the country, as you can see,” he said to an audience gathered at a lodge. “From the mountains to the sea, it’s a beautiful place. Unfortunately, it’s on fire right now.”
Later, he added, ““We have two events that have joined together — and one was the hurricane, Helene,. It’s been long enough to where those trees and other fuel sources that got knocked down have now dried out, and not only does that make it difficult to cross with machinery or on foot, but it also adds to the fuel.”
More favorable fire-fighting conditions are expected later today as strong storms move into the state that may douse some of the fires. In the Lowcountry, residents are being warned to be careful as storms move in.
In other weekend headlines:
CP NEWS: Trump education order sparks fierce debate in S.C. A week after President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at dismembering the federal Department of Education, S.C. political leaders remain deeply divided over the move.
CP OPINION, Brack: Remembering a punny political time from 2010 “While most speakers likely will highlight Nathalie Dupree’s huge impact on the food world – keeping alive recipes and techniques, mentoring young women chefs, making complicated preparations simpler – she had a pretty good opinionated political side, too. “
CP FOOD: Two Charleston cafes release a new cookbook. Harbinger and the Harken, two related cafes, have released a first cookbook.
HOOPS: Defending champs South Carolina heads back to Final Four. South Carolina’s women held off a pesky Duke basketball team Sunday to take a 54-50 win and earn a trip to the Final Four for the fifth straight year. Also over the weekend, the men’s Final Four was set to feature Auburn, Duke, Florida, Houston.
SC-1: Frustrated voters voice views as Mace skips town hall. More than 200 people packed Mount Pleasant’s town hall to voice concerns about the Trump administration, but U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., didn’t show up, as expected, for the event she’s been attacking.
Charleston school board member wants sex ed book moved. School board member and conservative activist Michele Leber, wife of right-wing State Sen. Matt Leber, wants the county library to move a book to keep it away from kids.
Garden & Gun to relocate to historic Charleston jail. The award-winning magazine will move to Magazine Street in 2025 after the jail underwent a $15 million restoration.
Anti-DEI rules impacting Charleston arts organizations. One group reportedly lost more than $200,000 in funding.
Charleston Co. creates $8 million affordable housing fund. The loan fund seeks to help more affordable housing to be built in the area.
Dockside residents to be able to move stuff starting April 14. The riverside condo, evacuated a month ago over safety concerns, has a plan to allow people to start moving belongings out of the building starting April 14.
Second S.C. death row inmate chooses firing squad. Convicted murderer Mikal Mahdl, scheduled to die April 11 for killing a police officer in 2004, is the second death row inmate to pick dying by firing squad since South Carolina resumed executions in the fall.
Georgetown Paper mill to turn into biomass plant. A look at the future of Georgetown’s former Paper mill.
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
