COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – In the wake of a data breach affecting most South Carolina school districts, state leaders are releasing some tips and tricks for parents seeking to protect their children’s personal information.

The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) said the data breach occurred the night of Jan. 7 when an “international incident” caused those with “unauthorized access” to obtain customer data from PowerSchool’s Student Information Systems, including personally identifiable information.

Only four South Carolina school districts were not affected by the data breach:

• Edgefield County School District
• Greenville County Schools
• Horry County Schools
• Richland County School District Two

Leaders with the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs released a few tips to keep in mind for parents to safeguard their children’s information and avoid cyber threats:

Check if your child has a credit report. SCDCA said a child under the age of 18 generally will not have a credit report, so finding one under their name could be a sign of identity theft. SCDCA encourages parents to contact the three major credit reporting agencies (Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax) and ask them to manually search their child’s social security number to ensure there was no file created under their name.

Consider a protected consumer freeze. SCDCA said parents should consider creating a credit file in their child’s name and then freeze it, preventing creditors from accessing the file.

Be on guard. SCDCA cautioned parents to never provide personal information to someone you don’t know. They said the government will never call, email, text or instant message over social media to demand money or personal information.

If you believe someone is using your child’s information, you can contact SCDCA’s Identity Theft Unit at (800) 922-1594 or by submitting an Identity Theft Intake Form by clicking here.

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The culinary skills, boldness, and creativity of Jeanne Koenigsberg of Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery have garnered the attention of Gov. Henry McMaster as she was named one of three 2025 South Carolina Chef Ambassadors.

In a press conference held in Columbia on January 13, McMaster appointed Koenigsberg alongside chefs Darren Smith of Conway and Shuai Wang of North Charleston to represent the state through food festivals and other promotional opportunities for visitors and residents of the Palmetto State.

Their duties involve sharing South Carolina’s culinary traditions, agricultural heritage, and undiscovered places within South Carolina and beyond through the art form known as food.

“I’m humbled to accept this nomination in a non-traditional food service establishment,” said Koenigsberg, executive chef and kitchen general manager at Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery. “It reminds us that the work we are doing is important to our community and surrounding communities.

“I know that this will continue to give us a platform to show the importance of local agriculture here in South Carolina,” she said.

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Who is Jeanne Koenigsberg and what do SC Ambassadors do?

Honored for her expertise in farm-to-table meals and community engagement, Koenigsberg has expanded Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery’s reach, increasing the restaurant and storefront’s base and seasonal and catered menu options since her arrival in June of 2023.

Prior to Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery, Koenigsberg served as the executive sous chef at the Greenville Convention Center. While in Jacksonville, Florida, she was the executive chef at Wine Cellar and banquet chef for CSX, sous chef at The Museum of Contemporary Art — Jacksonville.

The South Carolina Chef Ambassadors program is now in its 11th year of existence as it assists in combining tourism and agriculture efforts in the state, which collectively contribute tens of billions of dollars to the economy and account for hundreds of thousands of jobs statewide.

Chefs are appointed annually by Gov. McMaster, and the program is run through a partnership between the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism (SCPRT) and the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA), which directly aims its support to the state’s farmers by using certified South Carolina produce, meats, dairy, seafood, and other farm-fresh foods.

Chefs appointed to the program in the Upstate are commonly seen in prominent culinary roles at large-scale tourist events such as Fall for Greenville, euphoria and more.

“Food is an important part of our state’s history, culture, and economy, and it’s where two of our largest industries – tourism and agriculture – overlap and excel,” said McMaster of the 2025 class of Chef Ambassadors.

“Our world-class culinary talent is highlighted and celebrated through the Chef Ambassador program, showcasing the best of South Carolina chefs, farmers, and locally grown products. I congratulate the 2025 class on this tremendous culinary honor,” he added.

In 2024, the Greer-based chef Michael Sibert of White Wine & Butter was named a 2024 South Carolina Chef Ambassador.

More Food News: Popular Greenville deli closes after two years in business, citing building problems, costs

What is Swamp Rabbit Cafe?

Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery is a food market and cafe that has specialized in South Carolina-grown produce from farmers and vendors for nearly 14 years.

Owned by Mary Walsh and Jac Oliver, the neighborhood staple at 205 Cedar Lane Road has been committed to organic and ethically sourced ingredients since its inception, purchasing over $100,000 each month from local vendors and farmers around the state.

More on Swamp Rabbit Cafe: Biden Cabinet member visits Greenville’s Swamp Rabbit Cafe; Helene hurt small businesses

Their menu features a taste of locally farmed ingredients, recipes, and easy-to-carry menu items that are lifestyle, diet, and culture-conscious to all of its visitors.

Future Food: The Upstate’s most anticipated restaurants, food trucks, dining concepts arriving in 2025

– A.J. Jackson covers the food & dining scene, along with arts, entertainment and downtown culture for The Greenville News. Contact him by email at ajackson@gannett.com, and follow him on X (formally Twitter) @ajhappened. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription. 

South Carolina has cruised to a 4-0 record in the SEC. Here’s what we learned from the sweep of the Texas teams, including a statement win over the no. 5 Longhorns.

1. The offense is fixed

After the loss to UCLA, I wrote that South Carolina’s offense was broken. Here’s what I wrote the next day:

“There were frequent possessions on Sunday when I would watch an offensive possession and have no clue what the Gamecocks were trying to accomplish.”

I added that it was fixable, and they have definitely fixed it. Since the Christmas break, South Carolina has scored 93, 83, 95, 90, and 67 points. The last game was the best proof of how far they come. 

Even when scoring 67, the Gamecocks shot 71% in the first half and 51% for the game. Despite committing a season-high 22 turnovers, Dawn Staley was happy with the offense.

“It’s all about taking good shots,” Staley said. “I think you can have a night, as far as having as many turnovers as we had, with taking good shots, you lose games taking bad shots. And for us, we were finally getting to that point where we’re taking better shots, and we’re taking rhythm shots, and it’s paying off, especially in the game like this.”

South Carolina has found its identity. Spread the floor, move the ball around, and run the floor. They sprinkle in some post-ups with Joyce Edwards and Chloe Kitts, but mostly, they play face-up basketball and get open looks by moving the ball around.

2. The defense is still elite

While the offense struggled earlier in the season, Staley consistently said she wasn’t worried about the defensive end of the court. The performance didn’t always back that up, but it is now. 

Texas entered Sunday’s game with one of the best offenses in the country: sixth in field goal percentage (49.6%), first in free throws made and attempted (19.2/25.4), fourth in scoring offense (90.4 points), and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.34).

The Gamecocks held the Longhorns to 27.8% shooting, 5-10 free throws, 50 points, and a 0.58 assist-to-turnover ratio. All were season-lows.

[South Carolina-LSU WBB: Win tickets]

South Carolina did it without Ashlyn Watkins, the Gamecocks’ best defender. So what’s working? 

It starts with all the athletically gifted defenders South Carolina has, but the key to defense is effort and commitment. Nobody exemplifies that more than MiLaysia Fulwiley. Her focus wanders at times, but latel,y she has been locked in.

It was on display in the third quarter. After a Texas flop drew a charge on Chloe Kitts, Staley called Fulwiley over. From their body language, it was clear Staley told her to go get the ball back (it’s not on the broadcast so you’ll have to take my word for it). Fulwiley initially knocked the ball away from Rori Harmon, and then after Harmon recovered, drew the offensive foul. 

“When Lay’s locked in, she impacts it on both sides of the basketball,” Staley said. “I would like for her to really understand her power from a defensive standpoint. So we’re always encouraging her. The only reason why she comes out of the game is her not defending.”

3. Watkins has become South Carolina’s rallying point

Let’s make one thing crystal clear: There is no way, shape, or form in which the Gamecocks are a better team without Ashlyn Watkins.

But…

Losing Watkins seems to have given her teammates something to rally around. Last season was all about the Revenge Tour, even for the players who weren’t around two seasons ago. The Repeat Tour clearly didn’t carry the same weight this season.

Now the other frontcourt players know they need to step up and Staley said they are playing more “free.” The guards, like Fulwiley, seem more committed to playing all-around basketball. They’ve found the proverbial chip on their shoulder.

“I’m really proud of them,” Staley said. “They’re playing together. They’re playing for Ashlyn. They’re playing to make sure people don’t look at us as not contenders.”

“The biggest thing for us is we play for each other,” Bree Hall said.