South-Carolina

South Carolina NAACP won the right to publish current eviction data. The data are finally out

Published

2 years ago

March 14, 2024

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South Carolina NAACP won the right to publish current eviction data. The data are finally out

On March 14, the South Carolina NAACP released numbers on eviction rates in every county in South Carolina.

That’s significant for two reasons.

First, since Eviction Lab published it’s last update in 2022, charting eviction rates in U.S. counties through the end of 2018, there hasn’t been a comprehensive statewide look at eviction rates in South Carolina.

Second, it’s significant because publishing data charting evictions in the state since the outset of the Covid pandemic took a federal court case to get done.

The update

Eviction Lab first went live in 2018, with data measuring eviction rates from 2000 to 2016. Broken out from the interactive map were lists of the most eviction-prone large, mid-sized, and rural/small cities in the U.S.

South Carolina had:

· The most eviction-prone large city in the U.S. with North Charleston;

· The most eviction-prone mid-sized city in the U.S. with St. Andrews;

· 47 of the 100 most eviction-prone rural/small cities in the U.S.

This made South Carolina, without even a near competitor, the state with the highest eviction potential in the country.

When Eviction Lab updated those numbers in 2022, to account for eviction rates in 2017 and 2018, not much improved in the state. Counties like Berkeley and Dorchester, for example, saw their rates improve in those two years, but their rates remained among the highest in the U.S.

Those 2018 numbers were the last comprehensive statewide look at eviction filings anyone published, and even though the numbers were solid, they relied on tedious compiling of available court records that could only show a snapshot of what things used to look like a couple years earlier.

The case

While Eviction Lab was updating its data in 2022, South Carolina NAACP and ACLU South Carolina were in court. The agencies had sued for the right to automatically collect newly published court records – a process known as scraping – from the Public Index, the state’s repository of court filings. The agencies wanted to compile and publish current eviction numbers; their argument being that barring them from getting such data violated First Amendment rights and unfairly kept the agencies from giving information that could benefit those facing eviction court.

A federal judge agreed with the agencies, setting in motion the mechanism by which South Carolina NAACP could begin building the first major database to update the state’s eviction numbers with only weeks of lag time, as opposed to years.

The database

The findings of the database show that more than a dozen counties had eviction rates amounting to at least one filing per every 20 renter households. Dillon County fared worst of all 46 counties in the state, with 31 evictions for every 100 renter households – almost one in every three.

Dillion County has also had the highest poverty rate – also 31 percent – of all South Carolina counties, according to the database. Dillon’s poverty rate was followed closely by those of Barnwell and Marlboro counties, which posted poverty rates of 30 percent and 28 percent, respectively. Their eviction rates, however, were each around 12 percent.

That last fact belies that there is no rural/urban divide in the likelihood of eviction in South Carolina. Richland County, for example, is home to Columbia and is one of the most urban counties in the state. It contributed the most overall filings between 2020 and January, 2024 – 50,086 – and had the fifth-highest eviction rate over that time. The four counties with higher rates than Richland were Dillon, Cherokee, Marion, and Dorchester – all rural counties with high poverty rates.

Meanwhile, York County, home to Rock Hill, and Greenville County had the lowest poverty rates in the state – 9 percent and 11 percent, respectively – but had eviction filing rates just shy of one in five.

The state’s lowest eviction rate was in McCormick County, one of the state’s most rural, at 5 percent.

In total, South Carolina landlords filed 377,019 evictions between March, 2020, and January, 2024.

The help

Glynnis Hagens, a Skadden Fellow at NAACP, says that publishing the database is the first step towards getting a larger conversation going about the realities of South Carolina’s eviction crisis.

She also said that the effort to publish is a group one. South Carolina NAACP has several partnering agencies connected to these data, including ACLU South Carolina, Appleseed Legal Justice Center, Pro Bono Charleston, the South Carolina Housing Justice Network, SC Legal Services, and the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Each, Hagens says, plays a role in pointing tenants who are facing eviction towards help, whether legal services to combat a potential eviction, rental assistance programs, or temporary shelter.

She added that it is more important than ever to have up-to-date and correct information about eviction numbers in the state, because there is the compound problem of already rampant misinformation about eviction and tenant disputes soaked into every corner of the internet and the emergence of AI web searches like ChatGPT, which compile that misinformation into a neatly packaged “answer” to serious questions some might have about their pending evictions.

“Correcting that information is going to be an uphill battle already,” Hagens says. “So if we can give folks true information and some resources [it will help].”

But she acknowledged how tough the effort to cut through AI-driven misinformation will be.

“I think that we’re already fighting a battle that has, sadly, begun,” she says.

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South-Carolina

How to watch Tennessee Volunteers: Live stream info, TV channel, game time | March 3

Published

1 hour ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

How to watch Tennessee Volunteers: Live stream info, TV channel, game time | March 3

The college basketball slate on Tuesday will include Mike Sharavjamts and the South Carolina Gamecocks (12-17, 3-13 SEC) hosting Nate Ament and the No. 25 Tennessee Volunteers (20-9, 10-6 SEC) at Colonial Life Arena, with the matchup tipping at 6 p.m. ET.

See more details below, including how to watch this game on SEC Network.

Here’s everything you need to prepare for Tuesday’s college hoops action.

South Carolina vs. Tennessee: How to watch on TV or live stream

Game day: Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Game time: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Columbia, South Carolina
Arena: Colonial Life Arena
TV Channel: SEC Network
Live stream: Fubo – Watch NOW (Regional restrictions may apply)

Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Watch college basketball on Fubo!

Tennessee vs. South Carolina stats and trends

Tennessee is averaging 80.1 points per game (87th-ranked in college basketball) this year, while ceding 69.2 points per contest (62nd-ranked).
The Volunteers are dominating when it comes to rebounding, as they rank third-best in college basketball in boards (40.1 per game) and second-best in boards allowed (25.8 per contest).
Tennessee ranks 32nd in the country with 17.0 assists per game.
The Volunteers are committing 11.6 turnovers per game (240th-ranked in college basketball). They are forcing 10.6 turnovers per contest (231st-ranked).
Tennessee is making 6.8 threes per game (279th-ranked in college basketball). It has a 34.3% shooting percentage (167th-ranked) from three-point land.
With 7.9 threes conceded per game, the Volunteers rank 196th in the country. They are giving up a 30.5% shooting percentage from three-point land, which ranks 29th in college basketball.
Tennessee is attempting 41.3 two-pointers per game this year, which account for 67.7% of the shots it has taken (and 76.2% of the team’s baskets). Meanwhile, it is attempting 19.7 three-pointers per contest, which are 32.3% of its shots (and 23.8% of the team’s buckets).

Tennessee vs. South Carolina Odds and Spread

Spread Favorite: Volunteers (-8.5)
Moneyline: Tennessee (-437), South Carolina (+328)
Total: 143.5 points

NCAA Basketball odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Tuesday at 1:12 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.

Watch college basketball on Fubo!

Follow the latest college sports coverage at College Sports Wire.

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South-Carolina

Bombing of Iran could mean South Carolinians paying more for gas

Published

13 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Bombing of Iran could mean South Carolinians paying more for gas

U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have caused a sharp rise in global energy prices.
Analysts predict gas prices will rise in the U.S., including in South Carolina.
The conflict has disrupted oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global transit route.
South Carolina’s average gas price remains lower than the national average, which is approaching $3 per gallon.

An escalating conflict involving U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran in March 2026 has initiated a sharp rise in global energy prices.

Analysts predict a significant uptick in U.S. gasoline prices, including in South Carolina, which often has some of the lowest gas prices in the country.

As of March 2026, AAA reports the national average for regular gasoline is $2.997 per gallon.

Based on projections released earlier this year in the Short-Term Energy Outlook, 2026 was initially forecast to have lower gas prices than 2025. With an expected 6% decrease, translating into approximately a 20-cent-per-gallon drop.

However, due to the conflict, these projections are now uncertain, and prices may not follow the anticipated trend.

“The national average price of gasoline has climbed for a fourth straight week, driven primarily by seasonal tightening and broader market dynamics,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

In the week ahead, De Han stated, gasoline prices are likely to face heightened upward pressure as seasonal trends continue and markets navigate this evolving geopolitical landscape, with the national average poised to reach the $3-per-gallon mark for the first time this year.

“Looking ahead, markets will now begin reacting to this weekend’s U.S.-Iran attacks, which have elevated geopolitical risk premiums even in the absence of immediate supply disruption,” said De Haan. “Oil prices have firmed as traders assess the potential for further escalation, and while fundamentals such as inventories and refinery activity remain important anchors, the risk of broader instability, particularly involving key transit routes, has injected fresh uncertainty into energy markets.”

Here’s what South Carolinians need to know.

How much is gas in South Carolina?

South Carolina’s average gasoline price remains significantly lower than the national average.

In South Carolina, the average price for regular gasoline currently stands at $2.666 per gallon, according to AAA. Mid-grade gasoline is priced at $3.099, premium gasoline is $3.494, and diesel is priced at $3.505.

Gas price hikes anticipated as bombing continue in Iran

South Carolina drivers should consider filling up their gas tanks soon to avoid potential price spikes.

Analysts expect crude oil, which ended trading on Friday, Feb. 27, at about $67 a barrel, to open this week at $90 or higher as traders process the news that Iranian forces have restricted traffic through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

Why are gas prices rising?

Iran is a major oil producer, and the ongoing conflict has disrupted the flow of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world’s oil passes, according to reports from USA TODAY.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has warned vessels to avoid the area, and major shipping companies like Maersk have suspended all crossings. Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates send most of their oil exports through there.

This disruption has and could continue to reduce supply, driving prices up as demand remains steady.

“Too many global economies depend on that corridor to remain blocked,” De Haan said. “Markets price high transaction costs and additional uncertainty, he says, but he is not expecting full closure.”

If access through the strait is limited for an extended period, prices could rise “materially above $100/barrel,” said analysts at TD Securities in a March 1 note.

On the other hand, if access through the strait is guaranteed and hostilities cease, the added costs to account for the extra risk could evaporate in a matter of weeks, the TD team wrote.

“If it becomes clear this week that the tensions with Iran are short-lived, then oil prices will come back to the 60s,” said Rob Thummel, portfolio manager at $9 billion investment manager Tortoise Capital, in emailed remarks to USA TODAY.

Has South Carolina hit highest record average gas prices?

Despite the current spike in gas prices due to the conflict, South Carolina has not yet surpassed its highest recorded average prices, according to AAA.

The record for regular unleaded gasoline in the state was $4.609 per gallon on June 12, 2022.

Diesel hit a peak of $5.638 per gallon on June 10, 2022.

March gas price outlook: What drivers need to know about gas prices

As reported by USA TODAY on Feb. 28, the national average for U.S. gas prices is likely to push above $3 a gallon on March 2 for the first time this year.

Over the next couple of weeks, prices will likely hit at least $3.10 to $3.15 a gallon.

There’s also a normal seasonal increase in gas prices around this time of year, driven by seasonal pipeline maintenance, the transition to more expensive summer-blend fuel, and an increase in driving, according to GasBuddy analysis.

Rob Thummel, portfolio manager at $9 billion investment manager Tortoise Capital, expects gas prices to rise in roughly the same rate as oil prices over the coming weeks.

If crude jumps 10%, gas prices will as well, said Thummel.

Upstate SC Gas landscape

According to GasBuddy, in Greenville, Spartanburg, and Anderson, gas prices have shown similar trends to the national average, with drivers experiencing gradual increases at the pump.

Upstate South Carolina stations are adjusting prices in response to crude oil fluctuations and seasonal factors. Here’s the latest prices as of Mondy, March 2 at noon:

Greenville gas prices

Stop-A-Minit: 1091 S Piedmont Hwy., recently reported $2.47
Power Trac: 470 Bessie Road, recently reported $2.47
BP: 1631 White Horse Road, recently reported $2.49
Payal Express Mart: 1800 Easley Bridge Road, recently reported $2.49

Spartanburg gas prices

QuikTrip: 21 Fairview Church Road, recently reported $2.26
Walmart Neighborhood Market: 201 Cedar Springs Road, recently reported $2.27
Costco Wholesale: 211 W Blackstock Road, recently reported $2.31
Sam’s Club, 200 Peachwood Center Drive, recently reported $2.31

Anderson gas prices

Spinix: 3221 S Murray Ave., recently reported $2.31.
Raceway: 4606 Clemson Blvd., recently reported $2.34.
BP: 501 E Greenville St., recently reported $2.39.
Sam’s Club: 3812 Liberty Hwy., recently reported $2.44

Travis Jacque Rose is the trending news reporter for the Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at trose@gannett.com

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South-Carolina

Rev. Jesse Jackson returns home to South Carolina to lie in state

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Rev. Jesse Jackson returns home to South Carolina to lie in state

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — After a long career of fighting for civil rights, the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. is visiting his home for one last time to lie in state at the South Carolina capitol on Monday.

The final full honors from the state where he was born is a far cry from his childhood in segregated Greenville, where in 1960 he couldn’t go inside the local library’s much better funded whites-only branch to check out a book he needed.

Jackson led seven Black high school students into that segregated branch, where they sat down and read books and magazines until they were arrested. The branches closed, then quietly reopened for all.

With that action, Jackson launched his career — and crusade — fighting for equality for all. He would catch the attention of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and join the voting rights march King led from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

Jackson died Feb. 17 at age 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder that affected his mobility and ability to speak in his later years.

The South Carolina services are part of two weeks of events. It began with Jackson’s body lying in repose and the public invited last week to his Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s Chicago headquarters.

After South Carolina, Jackson will be returned to Chicago for a large celebration of life gathering at a megachurch and the final homegoing services at the headquarters of Rainbow PUSH. Plans for a service in Washington, D.C., to honor him have been postponed until a later date.

Nationally, Jackson advocated for the poor and underrepresented for voting rights, job opportunities, education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders.

Trough his Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society. He stepped forward as the Civil Rights Movement’s torchbearer after King’s assassination, and would run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988.

Jackson continued to be active in his home state, pushing in 2003 for Greenville County to honor King by matching the federal holiday in his honor and in 2015 by advocating for removing the Confederate flag from South Carolina Statehouse grounds after nine Black worshipers were killed in a racist shooting at a Charleston church.

Jackson is just the second Black man to lie in state at the South Carolina capitol. State Sen. Clementa Pinckney was honored in 2015 after he was shot and killed in the Charleston church shooting.

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Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen in Chicago contributed to this report.

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