South-Carolina
Greenville, Spartanburg judges vie for seat on SC Supreme Court, General Assembly to decide
Two Upstate judges are vying for the third seat on South Carolina’s Supreme Court.
Judge Letitia Verdin, from Greenville, and Judge Keith Kelly, from Spartanburg, are two out of six candidates seeking the spot left open by Greenville native John Kittredge, who was unanimously elected to be the next chief justice. The current Chief Justice Don Beatty, a native of Spartanburg, is set to retire in the summer after he turns 72, the state’s mandatory retirement age for judges.
Out of the candidates looking to be on the SC Supreme Court, three of them are women. Right now, South Carolina represents the lone state with an all-male Supreme Court in the nation.
The Judicial Merit Selection Commission will choose three of the candidates after a public hearing on May 9 and send the candidates to be voted on by a joint General Assembly.
Who are the candidates?
The legislature can choose to diversify the SC Supreme Court by selecting one of the three women, two of whom are women of color.
Candidates include:
- Administrative Law Court Chief Judge Ralph Anderson from Columbia
- State Appeals Court Judge Blake Hewitt from Conway
- Circuit Court Judge Deadra Jefferson from Charleston
- Circuit Court Judge Keith Kelly from Spartanburg
- Circuit Court Judge Jocelyn Newman from Columbia
- State Appeals Court Judge Letitia Verdin from Greenville
Greenville, Spartanburg judge’s qualifications
Judge Verdin graduated from Furman University in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology degree and went on to receive her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina in 1997. She was then elected to the Family Court as a resident judge in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in 2008. In 2011, the South Carolina Legislature elected her to the 2nd seat of the Circuit Court and later elected her to the 2nd seat of the Court of Appeals in 2023.
Judge Kelly attended the University of South Carolina and cross-enrolled in the U.S. Army ROTC program at Wofford College, serving as Battalion Commander and graduated in 1981. He received his Juris Doctorate Degree from Mercer University in 1987 and returned to Spartanburg. Kelly is also a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, where he served on the SC House Judiciary Committee and was chairman of the Criminal Laws subcommittee.
Six-week abortion ban ruling
In 2023, the all-male Supreme Court faced criticism after reinstating South Carolina’s controversial six-week abortion law in a 4-1 ruling, with Chief Justice Don Beatty representing the lone dissent.
The ruling came after the SC Supreme Court’s lone woman justice, Kaye Hearn, retired due to state law term limits on judgeships in February 2023. When Hearn retired, Greenville’s Judge Gary Hill was elected and replaced the sole female judge.
Savannah Moss covers Greenville County politics and growth/development. Reach her at smoss@gannett.com or follow her on X @Savmoss.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Joint Base Charleston announced Saturday’s airshow over the harbor has been canceled due to poor weather conditions.
Base officials said teams continued monitoring the forecast in hopes of a window to fly; however, continued rain and conditions forced them to cancel the event.
The airshow cannot be rescheduled.
“While the weather ultimately kept us out of the skies today, safely navigating this pivot was a massive team effort. I am incredibly grateful for our committee’s tireless planning and the seamless coordination of our first responders and civic leaders who prepared for every contingency. The unwavering support of the Lowcountry is unmatched. We are grateful for this enduring partnership, and we eagerly look forward to bringing aviation excellence back to our community in the future,” said Colonel Jason Parker, Joint Base Charleston Installation Commander.
The show was scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, with spectators able to view the demonstrations for free from areas in Charleston and Mount Pleasant.
This is the second time the 2026 show has seen a change. It was previously expected to take place as a two-day event at Joint Base Charleston; however, organizers later announced it would scale down and move to a one-day-only show over Charleston Harbor due to “current global events.”
Joint Base Charleston said it is already planning the 2028 Charleston Airshow.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – University of South Carolina saxophone professor Dr. Clifford Leaman was honored this spring, becoming a lifetime honorary member of the North American Saxophone Alliance. Leaman has been teaching classical saxophone at the university level for over 40 years. Only around a dozen saxophonists hold this prestigious honor.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to join the other saxophonists honored by this organization who have given so much of their lives to the growth and acceptance of the saxophone in the musical world,” says Leaman.
“This recognition is not just a reflection of my work, but of the many colleagues and students who have been such a driving force in my career. It would not have been possible to have achieved this honor without the supportive and stimulating musical environment at the USC School of Music.”
Our very own chief meteorologist, Adam Clark, was a student of Dr. Leaman while he was in high school.
Clark said, “Dr. Leaman’s weekly lessons helped me in all aspects of my professional life. From practicing correctly, perseverance, and putting in the hard work, it has shaped me to be who I am today, and he deserves this honor, and I am so very happy for him.”
Leaman has served on the faculties of Furman University, Eastern Michigan University, and the University of Michigan before joining the University of South Carolina, where he has been a faculty member for over 25 years.
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW AND PERFORMANCE BELOW:
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HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — One person was injured in a two-vehicle crash involving a motorcycle in the Carolina Forest area, according to Horry County Fire Rescue (HCFR).
On Friday morning, just before 9:30 a.m., crews responded to the area of Highway 501 and Carolina Forest Boulevard.
One person was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, HCFR said.
MORE: SC Forestry Commission lifts statewide burn ban
Officials ask drivers to avoid the area as Murtle Beach-bound Highway 501 traffic remains blocked.
The crash is under investigation by the South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP).
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