South-Carolina

If Trump goes scorched-earth on Haley, it’ll be nothing new for South Carolina – The Boston Globe

Published

2 years ago

February 2, 2024

If Trump goes scorched-earth on Haley, it’ll be nothing new for South Carolina – The Boston Globe

For a state with a lengthy history of dirty politics, the 2000 primary is widely considered the low point. Now that title could be up for grabs.

Former president Donald Trump aims to knock former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley out of the Republican presidential race in her home state’s primary on Feb. 24. And his no-holds-barred approach paired with South Carolina’s anything-goes reputation could be a combustible combination.

“I think he’s going to use it as a license to be even uglier,” said Chip Felkel, a longtime South Carolina Republican consultant. “We’re going to hear about her ethnicity. We’re going to hear this allegation and that allegation . . . we’re probably going to hear a lot of innuendo.”

But Trump and his campaign advisers, who have publicly said Haley should prepare to be “absolutely demolished” in South Carolina, could overplay their hand, Felkel said — even in a state accustomed to scorched-earth politics.

“With a very, very long and justified reputation for being a bare-knuckled state, I think he could take that the wrong way and go too far,” Felkel said. “The risk he’s running is offending, and then motivating, a segment of the electorate that would vote for her.”

Haley has a sense of what she could be facing after being called a “raghead” and hit with allegations of two extramarital affairs during her successful 2010 campaign for governor. Haley denied the allegations, which resurfaced in January.

“Politics in South Carolina has a sad reputation as a blood sport,” she wrote in her 2012 memoir, “Can’t Is Not An Option: My American Story.”

The rotten roots can be traced back to South Carolina Republican operative Lee Atwater.

He was infamous for stoking racial fears in the 1988 presidential campaign with what became an infamous general election ad against Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis. It featured Willie Horton, a Black man convicted of raping a white woman while furloughed from a Massachusetts prison when Dukakis was governor. Atwater later said he had vowed to “strip the bark off the little bastard” and “make Willie Horton his running mate.”

Atwater had honed dark political arts in his home state. During a 1980 congressional campaign, he dismissed the Democratic nominee, Tom Turnipseed, a candidate who had spoken openly about receiving electroshock treatments for depression when he was a teenager, as someone who had been “hooked up to jumper cables.”

“I definitely think the national reputation we’ve had for rough politics probably comes as much from Atwater as anybody else,” said Danielle Vinson, a professor of politics and international affairs at Furman University in Greenville, S.C.

Atwater had engineered South Carolina’s shift to an early primary state in 1980, raising the stakes there and fueling the growth of a political consultant industry that used his tactics as its template, said Wesley Donehue, another longtime Republican consultant in the state.

“South Carolina became like the last stand in every race, and by our Southern nature, we’re probably a little more aggressive than those folks up in Iowa and New Hampshire,” Donehue said. “All the other consultants kind of took their lead from him. They were kind of disciples of Atwater.”

South Carolina politics took on Atwater’s style: combative and creative, with seemingly no limits.

In a 1990 congressional race, Rod Shealy, a Republican consultant and Atwater protégé, tried to exploit racial bias and drive up white turnout in a key part of the state for his sister’s lieutenant governor bid by helping pay for a Black fisherman to run for Congress. Shealy later was fined $500 for a campaign finance violation related to the incident.

It wasn’t the only time an unlikely candidate turned up in a South Carolina race.

In 2010, Alvin Greene stunningly won the Democratic primary to take on incumbent Republican Senator Jim DeMint without appearing to campaign at all. An unknown Army veteran, his name was listed first on the ballot alphabetically. After his victory, news broke that he was facing obscenity charges. Representative Jim Clyburn suggested at the time that Greene was “a Republican plant,” which Greene denied. DeMint sailed to victory.

The importance of the South Carolina presidential primary continued to fuel underhanded campaigning.

As the 2008 Republican primary approached, some voters received a Christmas card purporting to be from the family of Mitt Romney, who is Mormon, that included the line, “We have now clearly shown that God the Father had a plurality of wives.” In 2012, fliers were placed on the windshields of cars at an antiabortion event targeting the wife of Rick Santorum for an affair she had before she married him with a doctor who performed abortions.

“It is a very tough environment,” Felkel said. “I was quoted many years ago as saying, ‘Bring your big boy pants,’ because it’s not for the faint of heart.”

Felkel worked for Atwater early in his career and said he “learned a lot.”

“He was brilliant. He made mistakes. He realized it in the end,” Felkel said. As Atwater was dying from a brain tumor in the early 1990s, he apologized to Turnipseed and the public for some of his actions.

Still, the Atwater playbook stayed in place. But it might be losing its effectiveness, Vinson said, citing Haley’s victory in the 2010 governor’s race.

“There were some really nasty ugly personal attacks against her during that campaign, and it ultimately, I think, helped her in the long run,” Vinson said. “There were a lot of people that felt like she wasn’t being given a fair shot.”

But in Donehue’s view, the state’s tolerance for political dirt has only grown. He said Haley will try to play the victim in her race against Trump but that he doesn’t think it will help her in South Carolina.

“There’s going to be no backlash to getting nasty here,” Donehue said. “The state is used to it.”

And with the rise since 2000 of the 24-hour cable news cycle, social media, and finally of Trump’s flame-throwing style, he argued the state is no longer such an outlier. You can see comments as bad as the illegitimate child attack on McCain or the raghead slur against Haley every day on X and other platforms, Donehue noted.

“Politics,” he said, “has caught up with South Carolina.”

Jim Puzzanghera can be reached at jim.puzzanghera@globe.com. Follow him @JimPuzzanghera.

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Botched South Carolina Drug Case Turns into Federal Lawsuit – FITSNews

Published

13 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Botched South Carolina Drug Case Turns into Federal Lawsuit – FITSNews

by JENN WOOD

***

A federal civil rights lawsuit filed in South Carolina accused Greenwood County law enforcement officers of wrongfully arresting and prosecuting a Florida man for fentanyl and cocaine offenses after a traffic stop — despite immediate evidence that the pills in his possession were lawfully prescribed medication.

In a complaint (.pdf) filed in federal court, Bryan Joseph Getchius accused Greenwood County, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO), sheriff Dennis Kelly, and three GCSO officers of false arrest, malicious prosecution, negligent supervision and violations of his constitutional rights following a May 2024 stop.

That stop yielded fentanyl and cocaine charges that were ultimately dismissed.

According to the complaint, Getchius was driving through Greenwood County on May 15, 2024 – returning to Florida after visiting family in South Carolina – when deputies stopped his vehicle after observing what they described as swerving. During the stop, deputies searched the vehicle and found a prescription bottle bearing Getchius’ name containing blue pills prescribed as Dicyclomine, a medication commonly used to treat irritable bowel syndrome.

The complaint alleges GCSO deputy Wesley McClinton used his cellphone during the stop to search the pill markings and confirmed they matched Dicyclomine — yet still proceeded with field drug testing that produced presumptive positive results for fentanyl.

***

WARRANTS BUILT ON FIELD TESTS

The supporting arrest warrants (.pdf) reveal officers charged Getchius with three felony drug offenses arising from the stop: trafficking fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of cocaine. According to the affidavits, these charges were based on pills and powder recovered from a prescription bottle that deputies said produced presumptive positive field-test results for fentanyl and cocaine.

Each affidavit — sworn by officer James Travis Freeman, who the lawsuit says was not present during the stop — described the pills as: “poorly made, broke apart with very small amount of force and were consistent with clandestinely manufactured fentanyl pills.”

The lawsuit argues those statements omitted a critical fact: deputies had already identified the pill markings as lawful prescription medication prior to Getchius’ arrest.

After the arrest, Greenwood County circuit court judge Frank Addy set a surety bond at $25,000 – and ordered Getchius placed on house arrest at his mother’s Greenwood residence under electronic monitoring.

The order allowed limited exceptions for employment, legal appointments, medical visits and religious services.

The complaint stated Getchius spent 15 days in jail before bonding out, then approximately seven months on home arrest – unable to return to his job in Florida or maintain the sobriety support network he had built after more than fourteen months of recovery.

***

RELATED | YET ANOTHER SLED AGENT CHARGED WITH DUI

***

SLED LAB RESULTS COLLAPSE THE CASE

According to the lawsuit, the evidence was submitted to the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) forensic laboratory shortly after Getchius’ arrest, but final testing did not come back for more than sixteen months — a delay the complaint attributed to SLED’s well-documented forensic backlog, which it says involved roughly 18,000 pending cases statewide at the time.

When the final report (.pdf) was issued on October 1, 2025, SLED forensic scientist Elise London found every tested item contained Dicyclomine — and nothing illegal.

The SLED report specifically found:

fifty blue tablets marked LAN 1282 were Dicyclomine,
blue powder residue was Dicyclomine,
eight capsules marked 0586 LANETT were Dicyclomine,
two additional capsules marked 0586 LANETT were also Dicyclomine.

The lab further noted the tablets’ physical characteristics were “consistent with a pharmaceutical preparation,” directly contradicting warrant language describing them as crudely manufactured narcotics.

According to the complaint, prosecutors offered Getchius a plea deal after receiving the lab report — proposing he plead guilty to a reduced possession charge despite the absence of any controlled substance. He refused, and the charges were later dismissed.

***

BROADER QUESTIONS ABOUT FIELD TESTS

Beyond Getchius’ individual case, the lawsuit touches on a broader issue in South Carolina drug enforcement: arrests frequently begin with presumptive roadside field tests, while definitive laboratory confirmation may take months — or, in backlog cases, more than a year — leaving serious felony charges in place until forensic testing catches up with the allegations.

The complaint alleged Greenwood County failed to properly train its officers on the known limitations of field drug testing, probable cause standards, and the constitutional obligation to include exculpatory information in warrant affidavits.

It also alleged county officials permitted a broader practice of relying on field-test results even when contradictory pharmaceutical evidence was available at the scene.

Getchius seeks actual damages, consequential damages, punitive damages, attorney’s fees and costs.

***

THE COMPLAINT…

***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.

***

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South Carolina Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 10, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for March 10, 2026

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

Here’s a look at March 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 10 drawing

16-21-30-35-65, Mega Ball: 07

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 7-8-3, FB: 4

Evening: 6-9-0, FB: 0

Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 3-7-7-1, FB: 4

Evening: 1-3-5-8, FB: 0

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from March 10 drawing

Midday: 07

Evening: 06

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from March 10 drawing

04-05-06-07-11

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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South-Carolina

Source: Lamont Paris returning to South Carolina next season

Published

2 days ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Source: Lamont Paris returning to South Carolina next season

NOTE: The above video is a livestream of WIS featuring current newscasts, Soda City Living and Gray Media’s Local News Live.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – Lamont Paris will remain the head coach for South Carolina men’s basketball next season.

A source confirmed to WIS that Paris will return for his fifth season at the helm.

The Gamecocks have gone 62-67 under Paris, which included an NCAA Tournament appearance during the 2023-24 season. In the two seasons since, however, South Carolina has gone 12-20 and 13-18, respectively.

Paris’s tenure has also included a 23-49 record against the SEC as of Tuesday.

The Gamecocks will face Oklahoma on Wednesday in the first round of the SEC Tournament in Nashville. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. The game will also be televised on the SEC Network.

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