Overnight shooting along I-26 in South Carolina under investigation
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644 IS YOUR TIME. IT’S TIME FOR NEWS TO GO. WE’VE GOT IT. TODAY’S LOOK AT THE TOP STORIES, TRAFFIC AND WEATHER BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT THE DOOR. FIRST, WE BEGIN IN GREENVILLE COUNTY, WHERE AN UPSTATE ARCADE AND GAME LOUNGE ANNOUNCED IT WILL CLOSE ITS DOORS. PINKY’S REVENGE IN TAYLORS MILL SAYS IT’S CLOSING BECAUSE OF NEW LAWS IN THE STATE, AND A POST. THE OWNERS SAY THAT DESPITE FOLLOWING ALL CRITERIA FOR NEW LAWS PASSED ABOUT LIQUOR LIABILITY, THEIR INSURANCE WENT UP $17,000 FOR THE YEAR. THE POST DID NOT GIVE A SPECIFIC DATE FOR WHEN THEY WILL CLOSE, JUST THAT IT WOULD BE SOMETIME THIS WEEK, BUT IN THE SAME POST, THE BUSINESS DID ANNOUNCE IT’S OPENING AN ARCADE LOCATION IN DOWNTOWN GREER. AN OPENING DATE HAS NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED. MORE THAN 3 MILLION BOTTLES OF EYE DROPS WERE SOLD AT STORES LIKE WALGREENS AND CVS ARE BEING RECALLED BECAUSE OF STERILIZATION CONCERNS. THE EYE DROPS WERE SOLD UNDER A NUMBER OF BRAND NAMES, INCLUDING ARTIFICIAL TEARS, DRY EYE RELIEF, EYE DROPS, ULTRA LUBRICATING EYE DROP AND SOOTHING TEARS. THE FDA SAYS USING THESE MAY CAUSE TEMPORARY OR MEDICALLY REVERSIBLE HEALTH EFFECTS. FEDERAL HEALTH LEADERS ARE URGING PEOPLE TO STOP USING THE BOTTLES IMMEDIATELY, AND THE USDA SAYS CERTAIN PACKAGES OF DINOSAUR SHAPED CHICKEN NUGGETS ALSO SOLD AT WALMART, COULD CONTAIN LEAD. THEIR PRODUCTION DATE IS FEBRUARY 10TH, AND THEIR BEST BY DATE IS THE SAME DAY. A YEAR LATER, THEY WERE SHIPPED TO WALMARTS NATIONWIDE. THE USDA SAYS THE ITEMS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR SALE. LEAD IS ESPECIALLY HARMFUL TO PREGNANT WOMEN, INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN. THE MAJOR DECISION TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA STATE HOUSE IS BRINGING CLARITY FOR TAXPAYERS. THE STATE SENATE VOTED AGAINST A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE ALIGNED STATE TAX LAW WITH RECENT FEDERAL CHANGES, ENDING WEEKS OF CONFUSION FOR PEOPLE IN SOUTH CAROLINA WHO WEREN’T SURE WHETHER TO WAIT OR TO FILE. STATE HAD EVEN EXTENDED THE FILING DEADLINE TO GIVE LAWMAKERS TIME TO DECIDE. AND NOW, EXPERTS SAY YOU CAN FILE WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT HAVING TO AMEND YOUR RETURN. IF YOU ARE OVER AGE 65. IF YOU HAD TIPS, IF YOU HAD OVERTIME, IF YOU HAD PAID HIGH STATE INCOME TAXES, YOU ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS BILL NOT BEING PASSED. SUPPORTERS SAY KEEPING THE STATE TAX CODE AS IS COULD HELP WITH LONG TERM TAX CUTS. SOUTH CAROLINA, INCLUDING A PUSH TO ELIMINATE THE STATE INCOME TAX NEXT WEEK. PRESIDENT TRUMP SUGGESTED STATES SHOULD COVER DAYCARE COSTS INSTEAD OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. BUT IN A RARE BIPARTISAN WIN IN WASHINGTON, IT’S ALREADY LED TO BILLIONS IN MORE DOLLARS TO HELP PARENTS COVER CERTAIN COSTS. NBC’S JULIE SIRKIN REPORTS. COME ON THIS WAY. MOST DAYS, INDIA BROWN, A SINGLE MOM, BRINGS HER TWO YOUNG CHILDREN TO THIS CARE CENTER IN ALABAMA AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT CARES ABOUT KIDS AND THEIR WELL-BEING. THIS IS A GOOD THING. WHAT ABOUT THIS ONE? IT IS A GOOD THING FOR HER FAMILY. INDIA BROWN IS ABLE TO WORK BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIZES CHILDCARE. I DROPPED MY KIDS OFF KNOWING THAT THEY’RE SAFE. THAT I CAN KEEP THEM HERE FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS, GO TO WORK, PROVIDE FOR THEM. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES, CONGRESS PASSED $16 BILLION IN NEW CHILD CARE SPENDING, SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT TRUMP. MORE FAMILIES CAN GET A BIGGER TAX CREDIT. WORKING PARENTS CAN CLAIM UP TO HALF OF CHILD CARE COSTS DEPENDING ON INCOME, AND BUSINESSES ARE GETTING BIGGER SUBSIDIES, ALLOWING WORKERS TO SET ASIDE MORE PRETAX DOLLARS. WHY? AND THIS COULD MAKE A BIG DENT BECAUSE LABOR DEPARTMENT DATA SHOWS AMERICAN FAMILIES SPEND UP TO 16% OF THEIR MEDIAN INCOME ON FULL DAY CARE, JUST FOR ONE CHILD. THE VERY HUNGRY SENATOR KATIE BRITT, A MOM OF TWO AND THE YOUNGEST REPUBLICAN WOMAN ELECTED TO THE SENATE, LED THE EFFORT WITH DEMOCRATIC SENATOR TIM KAINE. I DON’T HAVE TO ASK PEOPLE WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE RAISING KIDS RIGHT NOW. SO, SO MANY OF THESE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT I’VE EXPERIENCED IN MY OWN LIFE. SHE MET WITH CHILDCARE PROVIDERS AND ADVOCATES TO DISCUSS THE IMPACTS. IT ENABLED A LOT OF PARENTS TO GO BACK TO WORK. BRITT FRAMED THE PUSH AS AN ECONOMIC ISSUE. IT’S HOW SHE CONVINCED HER PARTY TO GET ON BOARD THE DEPENDABILITY OF CHILDCARE AFFORDABILITY. ACCESSIBILITY IS AN IMPEDIMENT TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE IN THE WORKFORCE. 99% OF THE KIDS WHO GO TO THIS CHILDCARE CENTER IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, RELY ON FEDERAL SUBSIDIES. AND WITHOUT THAT FUNDING, THEIR PARENTS WOULD HAVE NO OPTIONS. LOWER INCOME FAMILIES IN AT LEAST FIVE OTHER STATES, ALL RUN BY DEMOCRATS, ARE BRACING FOR POTENTIAL DISRUPTIONS AFTER THE WHITE HOUSE ATTEMPTED TO FREEZE CERTAIN FEDERAL CHILD CARE FUNDING, CITING FRAUD CONCERNS. WHAT IF IT JUST WENT AWAY? WHAT WOULD YOU DO? FIGURE IT OUT. THERE YOU GO. IT WOULD BE HARD, THOUGH, RIGHT? IF WE DIDN’T HAVE DAYCARE. I DON’T KNOW, MOST PARENTS WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO SURVIVE. JULIE SIRKIN, NBC NEWS, MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA. SHARING A PASSION FOR SCIENCE WITH STUDENTS, THE IMAGINE UPSTATE STEAM FESTIVAL TOOK OVER MAIN STREET IN DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE SATURDAY. THE FREE EVENT GAVE STUDENTS THE CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS AND MATH. THE HANDS ON APPROACH SATURDAY MARKED THE FESTIVAL’S TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY, CONNECTING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WITH EDUCATION AND WORK OPPORTUNITIES ALL ACROSS THE UPSTATE VICTORIA. AND THIS MORNING, AGAIN, SEEING TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S RIGHT NOW HERE IN GREENVILLE 40S, WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, AND PRETTY MUCH THE REST OF THE UPSTATE, WE’RE AT 38 DEGREES RIGHT NOW IN PICKENS. SO OF COURSE, IT IS A COLD START TO OUR DAY DUE TO YESTERDAY’S COLD FRONT. BUT WE DO START TO WARM UP THIS AFTERNOON WITH THE BREEZE COMING IN FROM THE SOUTH AGAIN, THE SOUTHERLY BREEZE WILL PUSH CLOUDS OUR DIRECTION, SO EVENTUALLY WE DO TURN PARTLY CLOUDY THIS AFTERNOON, BUT WE TAKE OUR TEMPERATURES TOWARDS THE UPPER 60S FOR TODAY, WHICH IS NEAR AVERAGE FOR THE START OF APRIL. SO IT’LL FEEL NICE OUTSIDE, JUST NOT MAYBE POOL WEATHER OR LAKE WEATHER. AS WE HEAD TOWARDS THE MOUNTAINS. SIMILAR STORY. COLDER START TODAY WITH THE BREEZE COMING IN FROM THE NORTH NORTHWEST. NOW WE WILL KEEP THAT NORTHERLY BREEZE FOR THE MOUNTAINS, SO THIS WILL KEEP US IN THE LOW 60S. LATER THIS AFTERNOON. ONCE THE WINDS FINALLY EASE LATER TODAY, WE TRY TO WARM UP FOR TOMORROW. WE’RE BACK IN THE 70S AND THEN THAT FRONT STARTS TO MOVE THROUGH. COLDEST WEATHER ARRIVES BY WEDNESDAY WITH THAT BREEZE. SO I’LL GO OVER THE DETAILS AND ONE MORE LOOK AT OUR FOUR-DAY PLUS HERE IN JUST A COUPLE MINUTES. DESTINY. THANK YOU VICTORIA. HERE’S ANOTHER LOOK AT OUR TRAFFIC. LOVE THIS BEAUTIFUL LIVE LOOK FROM OUR WOODRUFF ROAD SKYCAM. LOVE TO SEE THAT WOODRUFF ROAD IS TYPICALLY SUPER BUSY, BUT IT’S GETTING THERE, SO RIGHT NOW’S THE PERFECT TIME TO HEAD OUT THE DOOR. YOU WON’T BE RUSHING AT ALL. YOUR TRAVEL TIMES ARE IN THE GREEN. I 26 EASTBOUND I 240 TO ASHEVILLE HIGHWAY, AN 11 MINUTE DRIVE I-95 SOUTHBOUND AIRPORT ROAD TO WOODRUFF ROAD, FIVE MINUTES AND 35 NORTHBOUND FAIRVIEW ROAD TO DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE, 13 MINUTES. AN ANNUAL HOLIDAY TRADITION AT THE WHITE HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO RETURN TODAY. FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN 13 AND YOUNGER WILL BE JOINING THE PRESIDENT, FIRST LADY AND WHITE HOUSE STAFF FOR THE EASTER EGG ROLL ON THE SOUTH LAWN THIS YEAR. PATRIOTIC THEMES ARE BEING ADDED TO HONOR AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY. THE FIRST WHITE HOUSE EASTER EGG ROLL WAS HELD BACK IN 1878 DURING THE PRESIDENCY OF RUTHERFORD B HAYES TODAY SHOW TODAY SHOW CO-HOST SAVANNAH GUTHRIE IS RETURNING TO THE SHOW THIS MORNING FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE HER MOTHER’S DISAPPEARANCE. GUTHRIE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT SHE’S CHANGED PERSON, AND IT’S HARD TO GO FORWARD WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED TO NANCY GUTHRIE. AUTHORITIES BELIEVE NANCY WAS TAKEN AGAINST HER WILL FROM HER ARIZONA HOME. DESPITE AN INTENSE SEARCH, THERE HA
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Overnight shooting along I-26 in South Carolina under investigation
Updated: 8:23 AM EDT Apr 6, 2026
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Authorities in North Charleston, South Carolina, are investigating an overnight shooting along the interstate. North Charleston Police Department officers said they were patrolling about 3:15 a.m. Monday when they heard multiple gunshots in the area of Interstate 26 and Interstate 526.Officers spread out and canvassed the communities and business districts in that vicinity.Shortly thereafter, a gunshot victim arrived at a nearby medical facility. The victim told officers he had been shot on I-26. Officers located and collected evidence of the shooting on I-26 eastbound, just before W. Montague Ave. The investigation continues at this time and so far no arrests have been made.
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. —
Authorities in North Charleston, South Carolina, are investigating an overnight shooting along the interstate.
North Charleston Police Department officers said they were patrolling about 3:15 a.m. Monday when they heard multiple gunshots in the area of Interstate 26 and Interstate 526.
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Officers spread out and canvassed the communities and business districts in that vicinity.
Shortly thereafter, a gunshot victim arrived at a nearby medical facility.
The victim told officers he had been shot on I-26.
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Officers located and collected evidence of the shooting on I-26 eastbound, just before W. Montague Ave.
The investigation continues at this time and so far no arrests have been made.
South Carolina’s “Republican” supermajority is plotting a massive – and massively expensive – expansion of government offices on the grounds of the S.C. State House.
The so-called capital complex expansion project – which is expected to take at least a decade to complete and consume potentially billions of dollars in public funds – is set to kick off via a $5 million appropriation in the proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget.
According to a budget amendment introduced last Thursday (April 23, 2026) by S.C. Senate president Thomas Alexander, this initial expense would go toward a “feasibility study” related to the construction of “up to two commercial buildings and associated facilities” on the grounds of the State House.
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These two buildings “may include as tenants constitutional officers and state agencies,” per the text of Alexander’s amendment, although no specific offices or agencies were mentioned.
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The project – a collaborative effort of the S.C. Department of Administration (SCDOA) and the S.C. Retirement System Investment Commission (SCRSIC) – would be “considered an exercise of SCRSIC’s exclusive authority to invest and manage the retirement system’s assets,” per Alexander’s amendment.
In other words… lawmakers are borrowing against the state’s retirement fund to pay for this project.
“Any interest in any structure utilized to develop, construct and hold the asset would be treated as an asset of the retirement system group trust,” the amendment added, referring to the state’s $53.9 billion pension fund.
What could possibly go wrong, right?
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RELATED | ‘REPUBLICANS’ BOMB ON LIMITED GOVERNMENT REPORT CARD
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Guess we know now why “Republican” lawmakers approved one of the largest tax hikes in South Carolina history a decade ago… forcing Palmetto State taxpayers to subsidize a disproportionate share of this historically mismanaged fund.
“Republicans” also approved Alexander’s budget amendment – on a non-recorded voice vote.
According to our sources, the initial office building project is designed to address serious structural deficiencies at the Rembert C. Dennis building – a Brutalist structure which was built in 1952 for the state’s highway department and renovated in 1978 to match the aesthetic of several other new office buildings erected on the State House grounds.
Brutalism refers to a drab, post-World War II architectural style popularized in the former Soviet Union. It relied upon minimalist conceptualization, modernist design, monochrome structural facades, raw concrete slopes and sharp geometrical angles – all employed with the objective of expressing coldly efficient, egalitarian themes.
Fitting for the most left-of-center “Republican” government in America, right?
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Brutalism has fallen out of favor in recent decades, however – mostly due to its links to socialist utopian ideology and its frequent depiction in depressing, dystopian films and television programs.
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S.C. State House complex map
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Next to the Dennis building is the Marion Gressette building – another Brutalist structure which currently houses the offices of South Carolina’s forty-six state senators and their staff. Constructed in 1978, the building is undergoing a “multi-year renovation” that began last summer.
Two other Brutalist buildings constructed in the mid-1970s – the Solomon Blatt building and the Edgar Brown building – occupy the southern facade of the State House complex, which is comprised of four city blocks at the heart of downtown Columbia, S.C. The complex is framed by Gervais and Pendleton streets (to the north and south, respectively) and Sumter and Assembly streets (to the east and west, respectively).
The Blatt building currently houses the offices of the 124-member S.C. House of Representatives and their staff members, while the Brown building houses numerous state agencies including the S.C. Administrative Law Court (SCALC) and the office of S.C. secretary of state Mark Hammond.
According to our sources, lawmakers want to demolish the Dennis, Blatt, Brown and Gressette buildings – and replace them with “two new mega-structures” which would house select legislative and executive branch offices.
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Construction at the S.C. State House complex in mid-May 1970. (Foster M. “Bill” Routh)
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In addition to these two “mega-structures,” office buildings for other state agencies would be included as part of the master plan – along with upgrades to the complex’s underground parking facility.
“No word on why these existing buildings, all constructed in the early 1970s (thus making them the newest buildings on the State House complex) are suddenly obsolete,” one source observed.
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“But naming rights are up for grabs,” they added, hinting at one possible motivation for the project.
Given the reckless spending proclivities and rampant self-aggrandizement of South Carolina’s legislative branch of government, count on FITSNews to closely monitor this capitol complex expansion project as it begins taking shape – including this initial $5 million “feasibility” appropriation.
According to Alexander’s amendment, the study is being subsidized out of “excess debt service appropriations,” money which is typically routed toward paying down the state’s highest interest general obligation bonds. As the amendment was not part of the $42.6 billion spending plan passed by the S.C. House, it must be approved by that chamber prior to being sent to the desk of governor Henry McMaster for his review.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
Will Folks (FITSNews)
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. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and eight children.
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COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina will remain one of the few states without a hate crime law after a proposal to study such legislation failed in the state Senate, despite renewed attention to rising hate crime reports and years of repeated attempts in the General Assembly.
The House has passed hate crime legislation multiple times over the past decade, but each effort has stalled in the Senate. This year, Democratic Sen. Deon Tedder of Charleston pursued a narrower approach, proposing the creation of a study committee to examine what a hate crime law could look like in South Carolina rather than advancing a bill outright.
Tedder said the absence of a state law sends a troubling message.
“When there is no state law that says hate-motivated crimes matter, that message of institutional indifference is heard loud and clear,” Tedder said.
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Tedder cited recent FBI crime data showing a sharp increase in reported hate crimes across the state.
“In 2023, hate crimes in South Carolina rose nearly 100%. From a national FBI crime data report, it rose from 66 reported offenses in 2022 to 115 reported in 2023,” Tedder said.
The proposal failed to advance. Still, five Republican senators voted in favor of the study committee, a notable shift in a chamber that has consistently blocked hate crime legislation.
As a result, South Carolina will continue to stand among a small number of states without a hate crime law. And with the 2026 gubernatorial race underway, significant change appears unlikely.
At a recent Republican gubernatorial debate, most candidates publicly opposed passing a hate crime law.
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Republican Sen. Josh Kimbrell of Spartanburg said such legislation could infringe on religious liberty.
“I will never pass a bill that’s going to restrict religious liberty,” Kimbrell said.
U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., was more direct.
“Should we pass a hate crimes law? Absolutely not,” Norman said.
Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette said she also opposes such legislation, noting she and Gov. Henry McMaster have discussed the issue for years.
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“I would not support a hate crime bill,” Evette said.
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., questioned the concept itself.
“There is no such thing as a hate crime, because every crime is a hate crime,” Mace said.
Attorney General Alan Wilson echoed similar concerns, saying he would oppose any bill he believes limits constitutional rights.
“As governor, I will never support a bill that criminalizes your free speech,” Wilson said.
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Lowcountry businessman Rom Reddy criticized political leaders broadly, arguing the issue is fueled by division.
“All this division and hate is created by the political class because that’s what gives them all the power they have,” Reddy said.
With the legislative session nearing its end and the Senate showing little appetite for revisiting the issue, South Carolina is unlikely to adopt a hate crime law this year.
As the summer approaches, recruiting picks up across the country for college football teams. The South Carolina Gamecocks are no stranger to summer recruiting success under head coach Shane Beamer. Beamer and his staff are in on many prospects, including Brayden Tyson who has listed the Gamecocks among his top five for next season.
Tyson is a four-star tailback in the 2027 class, rated 353 overall and a top 40 player in the state of Georgia per 247Sports. The 6-foot and 230+ pounder from Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia, brings a nice balance of speed and physicality to the position.
Running back is a room in desperate need of added talent for the Gamecocks in 2027 and beyond. Don’t be surprised if the team adds multiple players at that spot after not landing a running back out of the high school ranks in each of the last two recruiting cycles. Matthew Fuller was the last tailback signed out of high school back in 2024.
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Tyson’s top five includes South Carolina along with Florida State, Miami, Purdue, and Rutgers
Recruiting Update
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NEW: Class of 2027 4⭐️ RB Brayden Tyson has released his Top-5, and South Carolina is one of them! 🐔
The 6’0”, 215 lb prospect is currently rated as the #301 player in the country, the #23 RB in the ‘27 Class, and the #32 player in Georgia, per @Rivals recruiting rankings.… pic.twitter.com/fvnsL15Dd1
David “Tre” Segarra is another 2027 running back who listed the Gamecocks among his top five schools back on Apr 13. He is a 5-foot-10 and 205 pounder from Byrnes High School in Duncan, South Carolina.
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QB Jerry Meyer III and S Jernard Albright lead the class so far, but June and July is where classes really begin to take shape for Shane Beamer during his tenure.
