South-Carolina
South Carolina’s New State Park Will Offer Outdoor Recreation With Eerily Beautiful Water – Explore
South Carolina is known for its sunny beaches and peaceful waterways, and has attracted tourists to its ecological state parks for decades. Soon, tourists and locals will be able to add another park to their must-see list. Initiated by the Open Space Institute (OSI), over 1,800 acres will be named the Black River State Park, South Carolina’s newest state park in over 20 years. Just as the name sounds, the park will be focused along the shores of the Black River, making it South Carolina’s first “linear” park. It will also link the counties of Williamsburg and Georgetown, fostering community and connection through the river.
The South Carolina park will be the perfect summer getaway, with visitors enjoying the river through various activities such as swimming, paddleboarding, and kayaking, as well as camping and hiking alongside the river. A visit to the park can easily turn into the perfect ecological escape, as the head ranger at Black River State Park, John Moon, told the Post and Courier, “You could break it down into a week-long vacation of just being on the water and staying overnight at various places.” The park is being developed with versatility in mind.
The Black River Initiative
Black River State Park is the result of an initiative led by the OSI in collaboration with the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (SCPRT). The Black River Initiative is both a conservationist and cultural movement, aiming to protect the land surrounding Black River and reconnect locals with their history. The first sector, or “tract,” of the park, called The Meadows, will feature a visitor center offering historical learning opportunities that focus on the indigenous and Gullah Geechee communities around the river. There will be several other tracts, with various river entry points.
As for conservation, the parklands will be protected by the OSI and SCPRT from overdevelopment. The OSI has already saved thousands of acres of land to be protected under the initiative, which will shield them from erosion and flooding. Located about 70 miles from Charleston, visiting the park would be an easy, scenic South Carolina road trip. Black River State Park is set to open in 2026 and is projected to see a boost in ecological tourism as a result.
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Six Republican candidates vying to become South Carolina’s next governor met in downtown Charleston for a wide-ranging debate that put abortion, infrastructure and the future of data centers at the center of the race.
The forum was held at the Sottile Theatre, where Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, state Sen. Josh Kimbrell, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman, Lowcountry businessman Rom Reddy and Attorney General Alan Wilson took the stage.
Questions included whether they would support a state hate crime law, how they would address concerns about growth and infrastructure, how to navigate collaboration, abortion and the future of data centers in the state.
One issue that drew near-unanimous opposition was state Senate Bill 1095, a proposed total abortion ban that passed out of committee earlier in the day. All of the candidates opposed the bill, but they differed on what they would do if it reached the governor’s desk.
READ MORE | South Carolina governor candidates tout infrastructure, growth at business forum
Norman said he would sign it.
“You know, this is an emotional issue, but I will tell you if this bill came to my desk as governor. If it passed the House and the Senate, I would sign it,” Norman said.
All of the other candidates on stage said they would veto the bill if it came across their desk as governor, with Reddy arguing the question should be decided by voters.
“The Supreme Court did not say the loudest voice in the ruling class prevails. It said it’s up to the people in the state, so let’s put it to a referendum,” Reddy said.
On infrastructure, candidates discussed reforming the South Carolina Department of Transportation and allowing private-sector involvement to help pay for improvements.
Wilson outlined ideas that included leasing interstate easements and expanding private express lanes.
“We privatized that grass between the interstates. We turn it into private express lanes that can be told we leased the easements on the sides of interstates to telecommunication companies and energy companies, and charge them for natural gas line and fiber optic fiber optic cables,” Wilson said.
Evette also pointed to public-private partnerships and the possibility of fast-pass lanes.
READ MORE | South Carolina governor candidates tout infrastructure, growth at business forum
“We want to make sure that we’re innovative public private partnerships coming in and creating fast pass lanes to allow people that are in a hurry to be able to utilize that,” Evette said.
The final question focused on data centers, with candidates agreeing corporations should “pay their way.”
“They should pay for their water. They should pay for their infrastructure, any roads around it, and we should look at what Governor Ron DeSantis has done in Florida with the large data centers that are coming to Florida. That should be the model in South Carolina and everywhere,” Mace said.
Kimbrell said the state should set limits to protect natural resources and guard against higher power costs for residents.
“Put parameters around data centers to ensure that the water consumption does not impact places like the ACE Basin,” Kimbrell said. “Ensuring that the Public Service Commission makes absolutely sure nobody’s power rate goes up and we try to get behind the meter energy grids in place so they can be self-sufficient.”
Two more debates are planned ahead of the primaries on June 9.
A bill that could make it a felony for doctors to perform an abortion is moving to the full South Carolina Senate with just a few weeks left in the legislative session.
The South Carolina Senate medical affairs committee continued a debate of Senate Bill 1095 on April 21 in Columbia. The bill, sponsored by State Sen. Richard Cash, R-Anderson, builds on a restrictive abortion bill that failed to progress in the fall.
The committee passed the measure in an 8-4 vote, moving it to the full Senate for consideration. Lawmakers have until May 14, the last day of the 2026 legislative session, to pass the bill for it to become law.
Senate Bill 1095, also called the “Unborn Child Protection Act,” bans performing an abortion or supplying abortion drugs. It makes it illegal for a woman to get an abortion, with the only exception being to save a pregnant woman’s life.
It also makes mifepristone and misoprostol Schedule IV controlled substances. Alprazolam (Xanax) and zolpidem (Ambien) are two other examples of Schedule IV substances.
Pro-Life Greenville, an anti-abortion organization based in Greenville, responded to the bill’s progress with “full endorsement” of the legislation.
“Unborn children, like all human beings, deserve to have their lives protected under law here in the Palmetto State,” Pro-Life Greenville stated. “Today’s vote by the SC Senate Medical Affairs Committee brings that urgent need one step closer to reality.”
Under the bill, a woman who has an abortion could face misdemeanor charges. The maximum sentence would be two years in jail with a $1,000 fine.
Those found guilty of performing an abortion or providing a pregnant woman with abortion-inducing drugs could face felony charges, a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail, and a possible $100,000 fine.
Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (PPSAT), a firm opponent of the bill, decried the Senate committee passage. PPSAT Director of Public Affairs Vicki Ringer said in a statement that the bill will cost people their lives, and it will make it more difficult for women to get reproductive and pregnancy healthcare.
“Abortion bans have and will continue to cost people their lives,” Ringer stated. “As this ban inches closer to the governor’s desk, it is becoming increasingly clear just how many of our lives anti-abortion lawmakers are willing to endanger in service to their agenda.”
Bella Carpentier covers the South Carolina legislature, state, and Greenville County politics. Contact her at bcarpentier@gannett.com
BARNWELL, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) – An officer was injured, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has issued a Blue Alert for an “armed and dangerous” woman.
According to the Blue Alert, Cushman is wanted in connection with an officer being injured.
The location of the assault was Gardenia Road in Blackville, S.C.
On Monday night around 10:35 p.m., officials said they were looking for Lacey Cushman, 37, a white woman who is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs about 210 pounds.
According to SLED, she has brown eyes and an unknown hair color. Her hairstyle and clothing are unknown.
She was last seen driving a 2011 white Chevrolet Traverse with an S.C. tag, 706IRU, in Barnwell County.
Her last known direction of travel was toward Bamberg County.
If you see her or have information, call 911 immediately.
Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with FOX Carolina. For more free content like this, download our apps.
Copyright 2026 WHNS. All rights reserved.
-
Fitness5 minutes agoPut the fun back in your fitness routine with this 10-minute follow-along workout from The Curvy Girl Trainer Lacee Green
-
Movie Reviews17 minutes agoMiyamoto says he was surprised Mario Galaxy Movie reviews were even harsher than the first | VGC
-
World29 minutes agoNaomi Watts to Star as Ballerina Margot Fonteyn in Romantic Drama ‘Margot & Rudi,’ With WestEnd Films Selling in Cannes
-
News35 minutes agoCalifornia Candidates to Appear in First Major Debate After Swalwell
-
Politics41 minutes agoVideo: Virginia Voters Approve New Map Favoring Democrats
-
Business47 minutes agoOil Prices Rise as Investors Weigh Cease-Fire Extension
-
Science53 minutes agoPace of N.I.H. Funding Slows Further in Trump’s Second Year
-
Health59 minutes agoAging in Place: How Technology Might Help You Grow Old at Home