South-Carolina

Anderson County expands its Library Board. That worries library supporters

Published

2 years ago

March 7, 2024

Anderson County expands its Library Board. That worries library supporters

The Anderson County Council voted to add two at-large seats to the County Library Board Tuesday.

These seats, like County Council seats, will have two-year terms. The Library Board’s seven district-representative seats have four-year terms.

County Council Vice Chairman Brett Sanders said following Tuesday’s meeting that the expansion is meant to give newly elected County Council members a greater measure of control over who is appointed to the Library Board.

Each County Council member appoints a board member for their district. Because those appointments are for four years, Sanders said, the at-large positions will allow new members a greater say over who sits on the Library Board, and who can be replaced.

County Council can only appoint, not fire, Library Board members before their terms expire.

The expansion upsets many library supporters, who see it as an end-around way of censoring books by creating more positions able to vote on banning or suppressing materials.

“We’re not against adding two new members,” said Brenda Amick, a county resident and former Library Board member, at Tuesday’s council meeting. “We don’t want two new members added for the sole purpose of censoring books.”

Ernest Mackins, an Anderson resident and former assistant principal at Belton Honea-Path High School, said, “People are wanting to expand the board, but for not the right reason. More for political reason, and this is not what we’re about.”

Sanders said there is no political motive behind the expansion and that anyone can apply for the at-large seats.

Upstate libraries have become targets by mainly ultra-conservative groups, like Moms for Liberty, who say certain library books are inappropriate for children.

Books and materials decried by activists typically feature themes of sexuality and gender identity – this argument occurred at the Greenville County Library System in 2022 – or race identity.

Conservative advocates, such as Jeff Davis of the Greenville County Republican Party, have said that efforts to move certain materials from the children’s sections of the county’s libraries are not about LGBTQ themes, as the argument is often presented; rather it is about explicit materials children should not have easy access to.

But opponents of these activists – including nonprofit organizations like the League of Women Voters and the Freedom in Libraries Advocacy Group – criticize their agenda as political theater, and an attempt to politicize libraries and crush free speech.

On its website, the League of Women Voters’ Freedom to Read SC Coalition wrote, “140 different books have been targeted for removal in South Carolina. There is a disproportionate number of titles by or about people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.”

Since posting, the number of books identified by Freedom to Read SC is 142, as of this report.

Earlier this week, library supporters speaking before the Anderson and Pickens County councils – which voted in December to add three seats to its County Library Board – denounced accusations that their county libraries are filled with objectionable materials.

“The current mass censorship campaign targeting our public library also seeks to remove books catalogued for adults,” said Pickens County resident Reba Kruse at the Pickens County Council meeting Tuesday. “I reject calls to dictate what I read and what I choose for my family to read.”

Kruse also decried “cherry-picked excerpts intended to provoke outrage” that some activists have used, which she called a “guerilla theater tactic” employed during public comment sessions at council meetings.

Pickens resident Teresa Efant said that she opposes attempts at censorship by “a small minority of individuals” and called upon the County Council to let parents choose what their children should have access to at public libraries.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina National Guard lifts suspensions for pilots in July Fourth flyover

Published

1 hour ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina National Guard lifts suspensions for pilots in July Fourth flyover

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTV) – The South Carolina National Guard on Friday lifted the suspensions of eight pilots who took part in a July Fourth flyover.

Eight Apache helicopter pilots who flew in the 2026 Salute from the Shore event in Myrtle Beach on Saturday, July 4, were initially suspended by the National Guard. The agency said the suspensions stemmed from events that day, adding the nonpunitive safety measure was routine and not a disciplinary action.

South Carolina National Guard lifts suspensions for pilots in July Fourth flyover(Courtesy: WMBF)

In a July 10 news release, the Guard said it lifted the suspensions and praised the 59th Aviation Troop Command as an “exceptional helicopter unit, renowned throughout the Army and the National Guard for its unwavering commitment to excellence and soldier safety.”

“The subject events of July 4th are no exception, as our pilots remain deeply committed to excellence and the highest standards of safety,” Maj. Lisa Allen said in the release.

–> Also read: ‘Truly sickened’: Remains of missing South Carolina girl recovered; parents face additional charge

Allen did not specify what prompted the suspensions, but said returning the pilots to flight status would help the Guard maintain peak operational readiness.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for July 9, 2026

Published

11 hours ago

July 10, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for July 9, 2026

The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at July 9, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from July 9 drawing

Midday: 1-0-2, FB: 4

Evening: 7-2-5, FB: 5

Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from July 9 drawing

Midday: 4-0-7-0, FB: 4

Evening: 7-5-7-0, FB: 5

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from July 9 drawing

Midday: 13

Evening: 02

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from July 9 drawing

05-11-23-25-39

Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

The South Carolina Education Lottery provides multiple ways to claim prizes, depending on the amount won:

For prizes up to $500, you can redeem your winnings directly at any authorized South Carolina Education Lottery retailer. Simply present your signed winning ticket at the retailer for an immediate payout.

Winnings $501 to $100,000, may be redeemed by mailing your signed winning ticket along with a completed claim form and a copy of a government-issued photo ID to the South Carolina Education Lottery Claims Center. For security, keep copies of your documents and use registered mail to ensure the safe arrival of your ticket.

SC Education Lottery

P.O. Box 11039

Columbia, SC 29211-1039

For large winnings above $100,000, claims must be made in person at the South Carolina Education Lottery Headquarters in Columbia. To claim, bring your signed winning ticket, a completed claim form, a government-issued photo ID, and your Social Security card for identity verification. Winners of large prizes may also set up an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for convenient direct deposit of winnings.

Columbia Claims Center

1303 Assembly Street

Columbia, SC 29201

Claim Deadline: All prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw date for draw games.

For more details and to access the claim form, visit the South Carolina Lottery claim page.

When are the South Carolina Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 11 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Pick 4: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Cash Pop: Daily at 12:59 p.m. (Midday) and 6:59 p.m. (Evening).
Palmetto Cash 5: 6:59 p.m. ET daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Carolina editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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SC is at the top for food waste in the nation. How you can make changes

Published

22 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

SC is at the top for food waste in the nation. How you can make changes

A recent study ranked South Carolina as the ninth most wasteful state in the nation, struggling with commercial, industrial, and household waste.
Food waste in the U.S. has a significant environmental impact, generating greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 37 million cars.

Each year, Americans discard nearly 60 million tons of food, the highest amount of any country in the world.

‘While the world wastes about 2.5 billion tons of food every year, the United States discards more food than any other country in the world: nearly 60 million tons — 120 billion pounds — every year,” according to the Food Waste in America in 2026 report from Recycle Track Systems, a waste management company.

That wasted supply represents lost meals for families already facing food insecurity, according to the Food Waste in America in 2026 guide. While also filling U.S. landfills and contributing to harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

Tackling this growing problem requires solutions from restaurants, grocery stores, farms, and manufacturers, where overproduction and waste are most common.

Food waste remains one of the nation’s most challenging problems, but some states, like South Carolina, have bigger problems controlling it than others.

South Carolina ranks ninth for states with the largest food waste

From state to state, the struggle against food waste reveals stark differences in efforts to conserve food.

To measure which states are falling behind, Lawn Starter analyzed food waste using 37 key metrics, and the results show South Carolina is one of the states behind the rest.

The study shows the Palmetto State ranked among the most wasteful in the nation, placing ninth overall with a score of 46.1 out of 100. South Carolina also ranked 46th in commercial and industrial waste, 43rd in household waste, 36th in recycling and 19th in reduction efforts.

How South Carolina and other states got their rating

The rankings were based on four key metrics, according to the LawnStarter study.

Commercial and industrial food waste
Household food waste
Most food recycled
Food waste reduction efforts

South Carolina food waste statistics

In light of the Lawn Starter study, here are the food waste statistics for the Palmetto State.

The Palmetto State recorded the highest year‑over‑year increase in farm waste of any state, with a 41% jump in farm waste volume and a 103.9% surge in surplus crops value.
Storms in the 2024 hurricane season, including Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Helene, left fields damaged and unsellable crops considered waste.
South Carolina’s food recycling rate fell 1.15% to 29.03%, retail food waste climbed 4.17%, and residential waste barely declined, dropping only 2.59%, the smallest household reduction in the country.

Reducing food waste can help save the planet

Globally, discarded food accounts for 11% of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Food Waste in America in 2026 guide.

In the United States, the impact is profound, the World Wildlife Federation states that the production of wasted food generates emissions equal to those of 37 million cars.

Experts with RTS state that if Americans continue on the same food loss path, environmental consequences could be catastrophic.

Ways to reduce food waste

In the United States and beyond, there are many ways to reduce waste, according to the Food Waste in America in 2026 guide. From improving household habits to strengthening recycling and recovery efforts.

Here are some suggested strategies to reduce waste.