South-Carolina

SC freezes state funding to Hampton County until audit is submitted. What to know.

Published

2 years ago

April 12, 2024

SC freezes state funding to Hampton County until audit is submitted. What to know.

For the second time in two years, the state of South Carolina has frozen state funding to Hampton County government after the county failed to file financial reports as required by law.

The South Carolina Treasurer’s Office confirmed to The Hampton County Guardian Wednesday that Hampton County has not submitted its Fiscal Year 2023 external audit to the State Treasurer’s Office as required by law, and as a result, there will be financial and possibly legal consequences.

“As a result of not submitting their audit, their funds are being withheld,” stated Karen Ingram, Communications Director with the S.C. Treasurer’s Office, in an email to The Guardian. “The state treasurer will withhold state aid to subdivision funds until the audit is submitted.”

Ingram added that the state treasurer will hold all the distributions they normally send to Hampton County, but wouldn’t stop all payments from other agencies.

Counties required to conduct annual audits

Counties in South Carolina are required to engage external firms to conduct annual financial audits. These audit reports are due Jan. 1 for the previous fiscal year (ending June 30).

Counties may request a 90-day extension. Hampton County applied for and received the 90-day extension, which ended March 31 and still has not filed the report.

Council member, SC Rep. Hager respond

Administrator Lavar Youmans, Treasurer Jennifer Ginn Youmans, and the majority of the Council members did not return emails seeking comment. However, one councilperson, Camille Welch, offered a statement.

“I can not comment or share any information concerning the status of the audit because I have been provided no information,” Welch said. “Due to some health issues, I have been unable to attend recent meetings, however, I have requested to be included and provided with information via multiple emails and asked for clarification concerning decisions taken and agreements entered into with consultants but they have not been answered. Council, the county attorney and the administrator have been copied on all emails.”

S.C. Representative William Hager (House District 122) also issued a statement:

“It is unfortunate that Hampton County has had more than one instance of a late annual audit. Theseaudits are required by the State of South Carolina, and the fact that we are now once again past boththe deadline and the grace period is unconscionable. It is almost certain that the state will cut offfunding to the county as a result. When this happened last time, the former Comptroller Generalreleased those funds on his way out of office. We will not have that good fortune this time. I hope thatthe county council, treasurer, and administrator handle this situation with the seriousness itrequires.”

Treasurer’s Office froze funding in 2023

The S.C. Treasurer’s Office also froze state funding over the same issue in March 2023. This freeze impacted money for Hampton County EMS, the Council on Aging, and other departments and services.

S.C. state law mandates that “municipalities and counties perform annual audits to ensure the proper collection, reporting and distribution of fines and assessments from the point of collection to the point of distribution. Audits should include a supplementary schedule detailing all fines and assessments collected at the court level, the amount remitted to the municipal or county treasurer and the amount remitted to the State Treasurer,” states the S.C. Treasurer’s website.

“Effective June 7, 2023, SC Code Section 4-9-150 was amended to transition the responsibility of collection of county annual audits and management of related withholding from the Comptroller General’s Office to the State Treasurer’s Office. The State Treasurer’s Office is required to withhold certain funding if local governments do not submit their completed audit within the time parameters prescribed in state law.”

Local governments can submit their audits online by emailing them. Counties may request an extension of up to 90 days using an online form.

Six SC counties ‘failed to submit their annual audit’

As of April 10, Hampton County was one of six counties that “failed to submit their annual financial audit to the State Treasurer’s Office within the parameters prescribed in state law,” added the website. Those counties include Allendale, Calhoun, Hampton, Marion, Orangeburg, and Williamsburg.

To learn more about this issue, go to the S.C. Treasurer’s Audit Information webpage.

This story may be updated if additional information develops, or public officials respond with comment.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Jan. 10, 2026

Published

5 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Jan. 10, 2026

The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

05-19-21-28-64, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

Midday: 3-5-2, FB: 0

Evening: 8-2-9, FB: 7

Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

Midday: 6-2-7-3, FB: 0

Evening: 9-6-9-4, FB: 7

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

Midday: 05

Evening: 13

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

02-04-31-38-40

Check Palmetto Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

10-19-39-47-67, Powerball: 18

Check Powerball Double Play 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

Killer lawyer Alex Murdaugh works prison job as court weighs bid for new trial

Published

17 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Killer lawyer Alex Murdaugh works prison job as court weighs bid for new trial

Nearly three years after disgraced lawyer Alex Murdaugh was convicted of slaughtering his wife and son, he is keeping his head down and nose clean while his lawyers craft an appeal.

The imprisoned scion of a South Carolina legal dynasty is working a prison job, staying largely out of trouble, and pressing forward with his case, according to a report.

Murdaugh, 57, is serving two life sentences without parole for the June 2021 killings of Maggie and Paul Murdaugh.

He is also serving concurrent 40-year federal and 27-year state sentences for financial crimes.

South Carolina Department of Corrections records show Murdaugh has worked as a wardkeeper’s assistant since August 2023.

A wardkeeper’s assistant is responsible for day-to-day operations at a prison, such as helping manage the housing unit where inmates live.

That same month, he was disciplined for feeding information to a documentary crew and barred from phone use and canteen purchases for 30 days, according to his inmate record. He has remained infraction-free since.

His attorney, Dick Harpootlian, said Murdaugh spends much of his time focused on his appeal.

“You can talk to him, unlike normal clients who have no concept of the appellate process or how all this works,” Harpootlian told the Daily Mail. “He is interested because he is a lawyer, so we talk about where we’re at and what we think the grave issues are with the case and what our weaknesses are.”

Harpootlian said they speak weekly and described his client as being in good spirits.

“I think Alex understands he did a bad thing in stealing all that money,” Harpootlian said. “He is adamant he didn’t kill Paul and Maggie. He always has been … and when we get a fair trial, I think the jury will determine he didn’t do it.”

Murdaugh is hopeful about a new trial, his attorney said, but cautioned the inmate is “not confident of anything.”

Behind the scenes, the family dynamic appears far more strained.

Murdaugh’s surviving son, Buster, and daughter-in-law, Brooklynn, have stayed away, a source told the outlet.

The insider said Buster carries “a lot of anger about the loss of his mom and brother” and avoids discussing the case.

“Whether or not Alex killed them, he definitely did enough to tarnish Buster’s name forever, and he’s angry about that,” the source said.

Murdaugh’s appeal heads back to court Feb. 11, when his legal team and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office will argue before the state Supreme Court in Columbia.

The appeal centers largely on allegations that former Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill tampered with the jury during Murdaugh’s murder trial.

Hill pleaded guilty in December to obstruction of justice, perjury, and two counts of misconduct in office after admitting she showed sealed crime scene photos to a reporter and lied about it.

She also admitted to promoting her book about the trial through her public office.

Hill was sentenced to probation. Prosecutors said they found insufficient evidence to prove jury tampering.

Attorneys for Murdaugh argue that Hill’s conduct tainted the trial and jurors should not have heard extensive testimony about his financial crimes.

“By the time the jury heard two-and-a-half weeks of testimony about him stealing $12 million from invalids and orphans, he was so vilified it didn’t matter what [Murdaugh] said on the stand,” Harpootlian said.

Prosecutors maintain the verdict was sound.

Former South Carolina Supreme Court Justice Jean Toal previously ruled Hill’s conduct did not affect the outcome.

Harpootlian said he still believes two shooters carried out the killings.

“There is strategic evidence to indicate that’s correct,” he said. “Two different guns shooting two different people … The forensics supports two people [committing the crime].”

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South-Carolina

South Carolina Lottery Mega Millions, Pick 3 results for Jan. 9, 2026

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

The South Carolina Education Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 9, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 9 drawing

12-30-36-42-47, Mega Ball: 16

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Jan. 9 drawing

Midday: 0-6-7, FB: 8

Evening: 2-9-5, FB: 0

Check Pick 3 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL numbers from Jan. 9 drawing

Midday: 6-2-1-1, FB: 8

Evening: 7-6-1-0, FB: 0

Check Pick 4 Plus FIREBALL payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from Jan. 9 drawing

Midday: 02

Evening: 12

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Palmetto Cash 5 numbers from Jan. 9 drawing

04-11-26-33-37

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:

SC Education Lottery

P.O. Box 11039

Columbia, SC 29211-1039

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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