Briefly

Inmate hides key to cuffs in glasses

FLORENCE — Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone says a man who escaped from custody twice in Maryland had a handcuff key hidden in his reading glasses when searched in the Pee Dee.

But Boone said an alert jail guard noticed the glasses had been taped up and found the key before giving the glasses to Marvin Jordan.

Jordan was taken into custody in Florence County earlier this month after a 25-hour manhunt. Authorities say he escaped from a downtown Baltimore courthouse Aug. 6 as he was being loaded with five other inmates into a prison van.

Boone thinks Jordan was going to try to escape as he was being taken back to Maryland.

Clyburn to serve on campaign panel

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., will serve as vice chairs of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The two will focus on strategic planning to increase the number of Democrats in Congress and will advise on using members to campaign in targeted districts. They will plot political travel and oversee member fundraising.

Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen, who made the appointments, said, "Their knowledge about our races and deep friendships in the caucus will make them extremely effective."

C of C president to lead coalition

College of Charleston President George Benson has been named chairman of the inaugural board of directors of the South Carolina Campus Compact, part of a national coalition of more than 1,000 colleges and universities committed to educating the next generation of responsible citizens.

Benson joins the presidents of 15 other South Carolina higher education institutions, who have pledged to create and sustain civic engagement, service-learning and community service initiatives that provide college students with the skills needed to be active citizens in their local communities, the state, the nation and the world.

For more information, see compact.org.