South-Carolina
Nearly $1B in school bonds is on the ballot in Lancaster, Chester and York counties
Voters in three of South Carolina’s Charlotte metro counties will decide the fate of nearly $1 billion in school bond referendums this election. School districts in Lancaster, Chester, and York counties are looking to expand capacity and enhance security features in campus buildings.
Meanwhile voters in Chesterfield County are being asked to renew the county school district’s penny sales tax to help fund upgrades to athletic facilities, general renovations, and expanded classroom and cafeteria spaces.
Lancaster
The largest of the referendums on the ballot is in Lancaster, where the county school district is seeking $588.15 million, mostly for the construction of four new school buildings. The district serves almost 16,000 students in 22 schools; it is looking to add an elementary school and a high school to fast-growing Indian Land (which would use $315.6 million of the bond funds); a new elementary school in Lancaster ($113.45 million); and a new elementary school in Kershaw ($95 million).
An additional $37.6 million is earmarked for districtwide facilities upgrades, while $26.5 million would pay for security, safety, and facilities upgrades in the Buford community.
The tax impact on voters, should the referendum pass, would be about $65 per year for every $100,000 of assessed property value of an owner-occupied home, and per every $10,000 of assessed vehicle value. That tax would bump to $92 per year $100,000 of assessed value of non-owner-occupied residential properties.
Chester
In Chester, voters will decide on $227 million that would fund a pair of new high schools and upgrades to another.
The new high schools would replace the current buildings in Chester and Lewisville. The upgrades would be made at Great Falls High School.
The money raised by the referendum would cover most of the costs of the projects. According to information published by the district, the referendum would pay $99.1 million towards the new high school in Chester and $100.15 million towards the new high school in Lewisville. The remaining $16.8 million to complete both projects would be paid for by the district’s capital funds – which would pay for a theater and a gym at each location.
The tax impact, according to the district, would be $230 annually per $100,000 of assessed home value, plus $34.50 for every $10,000 of assessed vehicle value. The owner of a home valued at $100,000 and a vehicle valued at $10,000, therefore, would pay an additional $264.50 per year in taxes, if the bond referendum passes.
That is a big if, however. Chester voters have denied three successive bond referendums, in 2018, 2020, and 2022.
District spokesman Chris Christoff said that following the 2022 referendum, voters stated that they had felt the district was trying “to do a little too much at one time.” In response, the district launched a series of listening sessions this past spring.
“We asked, if we were to pursue a fourth referendum, what would you want to see,” Christoff said.
A follow-up survey asked whether voters understood the capacity, security, and facilities conditions issues in the district. According to the district, about 80% of the roughly 1,000 respondents said they better understood what they would be voting on, which is a scaled-down slate of projects that no longer include athletics expansions or work to the district career center.
If the referendum fails this round, Christoff said, the district will spent about $20 million of its own capital funds to replace the roofs at Great Falls and Chester high schools, plus other funds to buy additional modular classrooms in Lewisville – the fastest-growing area of the school district, he said.
Chester County School District serves about 5,500 students, which is up from about 5,100 students in 2018-19.
York
The smallest referendum on the ballot for Pee Dee voters this election is a $90 million bond that would pay for a new middle school and expansion and renovations to a learning center in York County School District 1, in York.
According to the district, four elementary schools and one middle school are between 80% and 90% capacity in a district that continues to grow along with the Charlotte metro. As of March, almost 2,400 new homes in the City of York are on tap from development plans in place, according to the district
Therefore, the district maintains, a new middle school is needed to meet that growth as elementary students age up.
The district also wants to renovate its Pinckney Street Learning Center/York One Academy to become an early childhood center.
The tax impact on voters would be $36 additional per year for every $100,000 of assessed home value; $54 per year for every $100,000 of assessed value on second or rental properties; and $945 per year for every $1 million of assessed business property value.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — The South Carolina State Museum opened its doors Saturday for a day of free admission, live entertainment and hands-on activities as it marked America’s 250th anniversary and unveiled a new exhibit focused on the Palmetto State’s role in the Revolutionary War.
The event, billed as “Salute to 250 Day,” included the grand opening of “American Battleground: South Carolina’s Revolution,” an exhibition exploring South Carolina’s role in the fight for independence.
“When we think of the revolution, of course we think about Bunker Hill, and George Washington, and crossing the Delaware, and in Yorktown and the battles up there,” said Christopher Graham, curator of the Revolution exhibit.
But on two occasions, the British attempted to invade the southern colonies. The first occasion, 1776, South Carolina drove off the attempt and British returned in 1780 and captured Charlestown, and moved into the backcountry attempting to reestablish rural control. That’s when the backcountry militia rose up and begin fighting the British without much government support, and eventually driving the British out of South Carolina into North Carolina and toward their fate at Yorktown.
Organizers said the exhibit is intended to help visitors learn about the Revolutionary War in the South, with artifacts meant to connect people of all ages with the state’s history.
Among the items on display is what Graham described as a significant South Carolina artifact.
“There is an iconic South Carolina artifact in here. It’s the flag of the second South Carolina regiment that was given to the regiment just a couple days after the battle of Sullivans Island, and carried for several year,” Graham said. “It was captured at the siege of Savannah carried back to Britain, where lived for 200 years, and now it’s back and it’s on exhibit.”
Chandler Mack, PR manager for the South Carolina State Museum, said the exhibit is part of a broader effort to begin a year of commemorating America’s 250th anniversary.
“we played a very pivotal role in our nations quest for independence during the revolutionary war. So that’s why we wanted to open ‘American Battleground: South Carolina’s Revolution’ to tell that story and tell the story of what life was like for every South Carolinian,” Mack said.
A shark is swimming around a surfer in Aptos, California
Drone footage shows a large shark was seen swimming ominously close to a surfer sitting on his surfboard at Seascape Beach in Aptos, California.
As summer crowds return to South Carolina’s beaches, new data highlights how influential the Palmetto State is on America’s shark risk.
The state has 118 recorded historical shark attacks, the third‑highest total in the nation. Two unprovoked bites have already been reported in 2026, according to Vegas Insider’s Summer Hazard Odds study.
South Carolina remains one of the country’s most closely watched coastal hotspots where incidents from shark bites to lightning strikes are likely to occur. Myrtle Beach, in particular, stands out, as it ranks No. 14 overall in hazard risk and No. 2 nationally for shark‑bite risk.
How likely is a shark bite in Myrtle Beach?
The odds of a shark bite in Myrtle Beach are estimated at 1 in 720,000 during a two‑week trip, equivalent to a 0.00014% likelihood, according to Vegas Insider’s Summer Hazard Odds study.
Even with Myrtle Beach’s national ranking, the numbers make one thing clear: shark encounters remain pretty rare.
Has there ever been a fatal shark attack at a South Carolina beach?
Despite its high risk of recorded shark encounters, there has never been a confirmed or fatal unprovoked shark attack in South Carolina in modern history.
The only such incident on record dates all the way back to 1852 in Charleston Harbor, according to America Surf, a magazine dedicated to surfing.
Myrtle Beach is among America’s top shark hotspots
With new national rankings spotlighting Myrtle Beach as one of the country’s most closely watched shark hotspots.
Vegas Insider’s Summer Hazard Odds study reveals it stems largely from the area’s intense swimmer density and environmental conditions.
With over 17 million visitors each year, Myrtle Beach does see an increase in accidental shark interactions. At the same time, the region’s warm, murky coastal waters create ideal shark-hunting conditions.
What types of sharks are at Myrtle Beach? Blacktips to bull sharks
As concerns about coastal safety rise each summer, understanding which sharks are actually responsible for bites in Myrtle Beach helps put the risk into perspective.
Most incidents in South Carolina involve small to medium coastal species, not large predators, according to americansurfmagazine.com
Along the beach, sharks most often linked to bites include blacktips, spinners, bull sharks, sandbar sharks, and Atlantic sharpnose sharks.
Reality of shark encounters in Myrtle Beach
Understanding why shark bites happen in Myrtle Beach helps make sense of the danger.
As reported by americansurfmagazine.com, most incidents aren’t aggressive attacks but quick, unintentional encounters driven by shark behavior.
Bites are typically unprovoked yet non‑aggressive, often involving single, rapid nips when a shark mistakes a hand, foot, or ankle for a small fish in the surf.
Juvenile sharks feeding in shallow, turbid water are the usual culprits, especially fast‑moving blacktips and spinners, which strike at baitfish near the shoreline and may accidentally contact swimmers.
Ways to reduce shark bite risk this beach season
As the summer beach season approaches, safety experts say that most shark encounters can be prevented with simple habits in the water.
According to the Florida Museum, ways to keep yourself and others safe include swimming in groups, staying close to shore, and avoiding the ocean during dawn, dusk, or nighttime, when sharks are most active.
It also means minimizing behaviors that attract attention, avoiding excess splashing, and steering clear of shiny jewelry or bright, high‑contrast clothing that resembles prey in murky waters.
Travis Jacque Rose is the trending news reporter for the Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at trose@gannett.com.
STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball landed a potential starting infielder from the transfer portal.
Will Craddock, who played one season at South Carolina, committed to the Bulldogs on June 26.
“Hail State,” Craddock wrote on Instagram.
The freshman batted .260, leading the Gamecocks in home runs (10) and runs (36) while ranking third with 29 RBIs. In SEC play, his average dipped to .172 with two home runs, six RBIs and 14 runs.
Craddock primarily played first base, but also made starts at second base, third base and designated hitter. He started all three games against Mississippi State in April, batting 3-for-14 with a walk, no RBIs but two runs.
He was a standout player for T.L. Hanna in Anderson, South Carolina, and was the state’s 5A Player of the year in 2025. He hit .442 that season with eight doubles, 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases while ranked as the No. 26 player in South Carolina.
Mississippi State’s starting first baseman, Reed Stallman, is out of eligibility.
The transfer portal opened June 1 and closes June 30.
Mississippi State baseball transfer portal class
Craddock is the 10th transfer to commit to Mississippi State and the second South Carolina player, joining relief pitcher Zach Russell.
Other position players who are transferring to MSU include Georgia Southern catcher/outfielder Brady Christman, Samford outfielder Jake Souders, Army utility player Josiah Overbeek, South Dakota State third baseman Nolan Grawe, Oregon catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus and North Florida outfielder Carter White.
Twelve Mississippi State players have entered the transfer portal as of June 26, including relief pitcher Tyler Pitzer who committed to South Carolina.
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
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