A veteran prosecutor is campaigning for the office of South Carolina tenth circuit solicitor – vowing to put violent criminals behind bars and shore up public safety in this two-county region of the Palmetto Upstate. Beth Blundy – whose campaign signage refers to her as “The Hammer” – is currently serving as senior assistant solicitor in the office of tenth circuit David R. Wagner.
Blundy, 42, of Seneca S.C., will campaign as a Republican in the race to replace Wagner – who is retiring from office. Two other candidates – deputy eighth circuit solicitor Micah Black and assistant seventh circuit solicitor Danny Fulmer – are also seeking the GOP nomination for this post, which oversees criminal prosecutions in Anderson and Oconee counties.
Blundy has scheduled a campaign kickoff event this Saturday (February 24, 2024) at 7:00 p.m. EST at 313 Cafe in Seneca, S.C. She’s billed the gathering as a “watch party” for the Republican presidential primary, which is being held on that same day.
Here are the details …
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(Beth Blundy for Solicitor)
According to her campaign bio, Blundy began working in the tenth circuit in 2010 – dealing first with “the pressing issues of driving under the influence (DUI) and domestic violence that plagued South Carolina.” Success in these two areas earned her promotions and responsibility over a “wide spectrum of cases.”
“Her assignments have ranged from handling drug trafficking, kidnapping, domestic violence, armed robbery, attempted murder, burglary, DUI with death, and more,” her bio noted. “She has proved her mettle in the courtroom time and again, exhibiting her dedication to upholding the law and delivering justice.”
Blundy is a graduate of Hillsdale College and the Thomas M. Cooley law school.
Like Blundy, Black and Fulmer also have extensive prosecutorial experience.
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“From DUIs, property crimes, drug crimes, and violent crimes such as armed robberies, burglaries, assaults, domestic violence, attempted murder, murder and sex crimes, (Black) has prosecuted and tried every type of case, Black’s campaign bio noted.
According to his website, Black – who graduated from Presbyterian College and the Liberty University school of law – is running to “protect our citizens, promote deterrence, and ensure fair and equal treatment under the law.”
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As for Fulmer, he plans to focus on “vigorously prosecuting violent criminals” and “seeking long prison sentences in order to keep these predators behind bars.” He also said he intends to “work hard to address the illegal drug scourge by targeting drug dealers with aggressive prosecution.”
“I have been an attorney for the past twenty-five years and a prosecutor for the past fifteen years,” Fulmer noted on his campaign bio. “I have had the opportunity to prosecute a wide variety of cases, from DUIs and property crimes to drug trafficking, violent crimes, and murders.”
Fulmer graduated from Clemson University and the University of South Carolina law school.
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South Carolina is home to sixteen judicial circuits – each comprised of at least two and as many as five individual counties. While judges in these circuits are picked by state lawmakers, solicitors are chosen by the voters in partisan elections. Ten solicitor seats are on the ballot in 2024.
The filing period for partisan primary races in South Carolina begins at 12:00 p.m. EST on March 16, 2024 and closes on April 1, 2024. Partisan primary races will be held on June 11, 2024, and if no candidate were to receive a majority of ballots in a given race, a runoff election would be held two weeks later (on June 25, 2024) between the top two finishers.
Given this media outlet’s ongoing focus on enhanced public safety and accountability for violent criminals, count on us to keep close tabs on each of the ten solicitor’s races across the state.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
(Travis Bell Photography)
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass guitarist and dive bar bouncer. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven (soon to be eight) children.
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The Clemson Tigers are getting ready for what will be a crucial game in Week 14 against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
This rivalry matchup is not going to disappoint, as both teams are coming into the game as Top-25 schools. For the Tigers, there is a lot on the line in this matchup.
Due to Clemson not holding the tie-breaker against the Miami Hurricanes in the ACC and the SMU Mustangs already clinching a spot, the Tigers are going to have to hope for a Hurricanes’ loss to the Syracuse Orange if they are going to make the title game.
However, due to recent upsets in the SEC, another path might have emerged for Clemson to make the College Football Playoffs. If they can beat a Top-25 team in the Gamecocks on Saturday, it could be the type of statement win that propels them into an at-large bid.
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While making the CFP still might be realistic, they first and foremost have to handle South Carolina, which will be no easy task.
The Gamecocks have also had a great season, and they could present some matchup problems for Clemson.
On offense, South Carolina is a run first team. Stopping the run has been an issue at times for the Tigers, as they just recently got torched on the ground against The Citadel Bulldogs. If Clemson is unable to stop or at least slow down the rushing attack for the Gamecocks, it will allow them to control the pace of the game. That obviously wouldn’t be ideal for the Tigers.
Furthermore, on the defensive side of things, the Tigers’ offense is going to have their work cut out for them against a very strong Gamecocks defense. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik has had a very strong season and this could end up being a defining game of his college career.
Going back to the win against the Pittsburgh Panthers, the Tigers’ offense really struggled on the ground trying to run the football. If that’s the case once again in Week 14, it will fall on the shoulders of Klubnik to get the job done.
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This matchup could very well go down as one of the games of the week and potentially the year, with both teams being fairly even talent-wise on paper. For Clemson, this is a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive, as a win this late in the season against a Top-25 team would be a nice last thing to put on their resume.
Overall, the Tigers are going to need to have a balanced attack and prepare to stop the run if they are going to come away with the win against their rival.
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The entire police department of a small South Carolina town resigned en masse, leaving the area without its own dedicated police force.
Chief Bob Hale of the McColl Police Department announced his resignation on November 21 in a social media post, citing a “hostile work environment perpetuated by a specific Councilman.”
“For months, I have endured unwarranted and malicious behavior aimed at undermining my integrity and leadership,” Hale wrote. “These actions have not only affected me personally but have also created a toxic atmosphere that has hindered the department’s ability to function effectively.”
The chief also said his department’s resources had been severely cut. The four officers under his command quickly resigned as well.
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“At the end of the day, I have a family. And when my job is constantly getting threatened and certain things are getting said I’m not going to stay somewhere and tolerate that,” former McColl investigator Courtney Bulusan told WRAL.
“I’m not going to stay where I’m tolerated,” Bulusan said. “I’m going to go where I’m celebrated.”
As the town seeks new officers, the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office will fill in for the department police force, according to South Carolina Public Radio.
The town has gone through six chiefs in the past four years. Hale’s tenure in the position lasted little over a year.
“I feel unsafe. Very unsafe,” resident Lisa Bowen told local outlet WPDE. “Because anytime anybody could do anything.”
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“They jump ship back and forth all the time,” Mayor George Garner told the Post and Courier newspaper. “This is nothing new.”
The paper reported that the councilman in question denied he had harassed any of the officers and told the paper the allegations were “hearsay.”
Such mass resignations, while uncommon, are not unprecedented.
The entire police force of Geary, Oklahoma, resigned earlier this month, Fox News reports.
UCLA’s win over No. 1 ranked South Carolina wasn’t a fluke, and Bruins center Lauren Betts says if you haven’t been paying attention, now would be the time to.
Let’s say the thing. It was not close on Sunday. From the opening tip to the final buzzer, UCLA commanded the floor and had an answer for everything the Gamecocks tried to do. The Bruins beat South Carolina on the boards (41-34), held four starters to under five points, and *checks notes* not a single starter went to the free-throw line. UGLY STUFF.
Furthermore, five UCLA players scored in double figures, including Londynn Jones, who was sensational from the line with five 3-pointers, and star center Lauren Betts, who had 11 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. WHEW. Postgame, Betts raved about her team and how proud she was, but she also sent a direct warning to college basketball. “If you’ve been sleeping on UCLA,” Betts said. “You need to stop right now.”
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