South-Carolina
Former SC Education Superintendent Dr. Barbara Nielsen dies
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – The first woman ever elected to serve as South Carolina’s Superintendent of Education has died.
Dr. Barbara Nielsen, who served two four-year terms as education superintendent from 1991 to 1999, died Tuesday, current Education Superintendent Ellen Weaver said in a statement.
“Today South Carolina has lost an education champion, and I have lost a dear friend and mentor. Barbara believed fiercely in the God-given potential of every student and dedicated her life to equipping them to reach it,” Weaver said. “As a teacher, administrator, and State Superintendent, she was tough but fair, and she never lost faith in the hope found in a great education.”
Gov. Henry McMaster called Nielsen’s death “a profound loss” for the state. He said she was “a true pioneer and an inspiration to many.”
“Her commitment to modernizing and reforming our education system transformed the lives of thousands upon thousands of our children. To honor her legacy, I will order the State House flags lowered to half-staff on the day of her funeral,” McMaster said in a statement.
Weaver said that even in retirement, Nielsen never stopped fighting for students and teachers.
In 2023, Nielsen chaired the state’s 17-member Teacher Recruitment and Retention Task Force. The panel was tasked with finding ways to recruit and retain teachers in the state.
During a presentation of a report released in June of 2023, Nielsen said being a teacher is “not an easy job,” saying it was very different from when she went to school and was very different even when she was the state superintendent.
“Our professionals that work in our school need to be respected, they need to be recruited, they need to be retained, and they need to be supported,” Nielsen said at that presentation.
While superintendent, Nielsen pushed for key legislation on education reform, most notably the state’s 1998 Education Accountability Act and laws that established the state’s first statewide full-day kindergarten program and that allowed for the creation of charter schools in South Carolina, the Department of Education’s website states.
Before serving as state superintendent, Nielsen worked in education for thirty years as a teacher, an administrator, and an educational consultant, her bio states. She graduated from the University of Dayton in Ohio and received a doctorate degree in educational administration and planning and a master’s degree in guidance counseling from the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
“Her wit and wisdom will be greatly missed, but her shining legacy lives on forever in the lives of the students and state she served,” Weaver said.
Funeral arrangements were not immediately available Tuesday evening.
Copyright 2024 WCSC. All rights reserved.
South-Carolina
Trump jumps into 2 GOP governor primaries, backing Evette in South Carolina and Feenstra in Iowa – WTOP News
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump endorsed two Republican gubernatorial candidates Friday, wading into contests in South Carolina and…
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump endorsed two Republican gubernatorial candidates Friday, wading into contests in South Carolina and Iowa that have pitted allies against each other in a fierce competition for their party leader’s blessing.
In a pair of social media posts, Trump gave his backing to South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Iowa Rep. Randy Feenstra, as primary elections in both states approach.
Iowa’s primary is Tuesday, and South Carolina’s is on June 9.
For two terms, Evette has served alongside Gov. Henry McMaster, one of Trump’s earliest backers during his first presidential campaign. Earlier this year, the long-serving governor endorsed his No. 2, telegraphing to some that Trump’s backing could be next.
On Friday, Trump expressed both appreciation for Evette and the state she represents, noting that she stumped for him in 2024. He also said “A BIG added plus” for her campaign is that Henry McMaster Jr. — the sitting governor’s son — may be Evette’s running mate.
In the deep red state of South Carolina, the competition for the president’s support has been the most intense part of the primary race.
In a separate post, Trump described Feenstra as “MAGA all the way” and said he would “fight tirelessly” for the state on issues including the economy, border security and support of law enforcement.
Both Evette and Feenstra have been vocal about wanting Trump’s endorsement, in the hopes that it would carry weight in states that helped propel Trump’s return to office in 2024. Feenstra said earlier this year that he asked for Trump’s support, and much of Evette’s campaign media has featured photos of her next to Trump.
Along with Feenstra, four other Republicans — state Rep. Eddie Andrews, businessman and former conservative political director Zach Lahn, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former director of the state Department of Administrative Services Adam Steen — are in the primary to replace outgoing Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who opted out of a third bid.
Evette is competing for the South Carolina nomination against Rep. Nancy Mace, Rep. Ralph Norman and state Attorney General Alan Wilson.
Both states are having their first competitive Republican gubernatorial primaries in years, with Reynolds and McMaster in office for roughly a decade each.
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Hannah Fingerhut contributed reporting from Des Moines, Iowa.
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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
Copyright
© 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — A loud boom was heard and felt across the Midlands around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Viewers reported hearing and feeling the boom from as far as North Augusta to Darlington County.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a M 0.0 sonic boom occurred 3.7 miles northeast of the St. Andrews area.
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WACH FOX has reached out to authorities and will have more information when it becomes available.
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