Ring linked to Declaration of Independence sells quickly

The 18th-century ring with ties to the family of Thomas Lynch Jr., a Lowcountry native and signer of the Declaration of Independence, sold within two hours after the Charleston International Antiques show opened. Read More

Medical students learn about disaster hands-on

Fourth-year medical students walked out of a lecture on disaster preparedness into the middle of a simulated bus accident on the Medical University of South Carolina campus Friday. Read More

Folly pier reopens Sunday

FOLLY BEACH — Visitors will see a much-improved Edwin S. Taylor Fishing Pier when it reopens Sunday. The pier has been closed for more than five months for an extensive renovation project, much of which has focused on the buildings at the pier's entrance. ... Read More

Slain woman's mother here from Brazil

GOOSE CREEK — The mother of homicide victim Ludimila "Mila" Hiers has made the 12-hour trip from her native Brazil for an anniversary she never expected to observe. ... Read More

New schools lead to teacher transfers

First-year teacher Deborah Acree had just begun settling into her comfort zone at Stratford High School when she was called to the principal's office. ... Read More

Trucker rest areas once plagued with crime to reopen

ST. GEORGE — Seven rest areas for truckers that were closed because of crime and illicit sex are being reopened, and officials say it will be different this time. .. Read More

Former state Treasurer Ravenel gets 10 months, same as co-defendant

Former state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison, the same as his co-defendant, Michael L. Miller.

Neither have to report to prison for 5 months while investigators probe for more information about the Lowcountry drug scene. Prosecutors were waiting to see how accurate the information was that both provided. If it proves to be useful, both of their sentences could be reduced.

The price you pay

Earlier this week, there was talk of making former state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel pay the cost of that special session, which was called to select his replacement, on account of he caused it all by getting caught with cocaine. Read More

Woman seriously injured after police chase in North Charleston

Police chased Adrian Carey down Meeting Street Road, on Dorchester Road and then on I-26 westbound to Montague Avenue, where he went east and struck another car. Read More

Exhibit marks abolition of slavery

You can read about the abolition of international slave trade in history books and see programs about it on the History Channel, but there's nothing like seeing the actual documents that set it into motion laid out at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum on Sping Street. Read More

Canes put lid on Wolfpack season

Miami 63, N.C. State 50 CHARLOTTE — James Dews scored 14 points Thursday to help Miami beat North Carolina State 63-50 in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. Lance Hurdle added 13 points, six rebounds and five assists for the fifth-seed... Read More

Names And Games

The North-South All-Star Basketball Games will be held Saturday at North Myrtle Beach High School and the Lowcountry will be well represented. Bishop England's Joseph Tecklenburg, Summerville's Marcus Morris and West Ashley's Kevin Bruce a... Read More

S.C. Lottery

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Former Rays coach Fitzsimmons still in the game as scout

When Jason Fitzsimmons stepped down as the head coach for the South Carolina Stingrays last April, he wasn't sure what the future would hold for him. After 10 seasons with the organization as a player, assistant coach and head coach, Fitzsimmons wasn't even sure his professional future wou... Read More

Teacher pleads guilty to child porn charges

COLUMBIA — A 48-year-old high school teacher from Aiken has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography and attempting to entice what he thought was a 13-year-old boy for sex. ... Read More

Vought gets past hurdles

Production glitches addressed, CEO says

An aerospace manufacturer that makes large sections of the Boeing 787 has ironed out most of the production wrinkles that hampered the startup of its North Charleston plant last year, its chief executive said Thursday. Vought Aircraft Industries Inc. has built 15 sets of rear fuselages and shipped four to Boeing Co.'s main assembly site in Everett, Wash. ... Read More

Deaths Summary

Business Briefs

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Summerville Briefs

The Fun Five

Things to do and where to do them Read More

Obama claims McCain's tax cut switch was tactical

CHICAGO - Democratic Sen. Barack Obama said Thursday that Sen. John McCain reversed his position on President Bush's deep tax cuts in order to win the Republican presidential nomination, one of his sharpest criticisms yet of the Arizona senator he hopes to face this fall. ... Read More

Who's on wrong side of tracks?

State agency, Noisette in wrestling match over railroad lines on former Navy base

The Noisette Co. and the state are playing chicken over some railroad tracks, and one of them is about to be derailed. While the private development company has been ripping up old rail lines on its property at the north end of the former Navy base, it also has threatened to press charges against state employees for trespassing on its land to repair the one operating line that cuts through it. ... Read More

Magazine: Town isn't pleasant for walkers

MOUNT PLEASANT — Oh, the agony of de feet! The town has been rated one of the 10 Worst U.S. Walking Cities of 2008. "That's crazy. We've got sidewalks all over the place," said Town Council- man Gary Santos. "Obviously, they don't know us," said Mayor Pro-Tem Kruger Smith. ... Read More

Gamecocks hold off late rally to advance into second round

ATLANTA — Say what you want about the unraveling of South Carolina's basketball season. But the Gamecocks did something here Thursday afternoon that last year's likewise scuffling bunch couldn't: Win an SEC Tournament game. "It gives us new life," USC guard Devan Downey said. ... Read More

Five tales from the crypt

Charleston is a city populated by thousands of fascinating personalities, many of whom just happen to be dead. Historian, tour guide and author Ruth Miller has been researching local graveyards for years and has filled books, literally, with Charleston cemetery stories. We asked her to tell just five from the Historic District. Read More

Rail car leaks small amount of chemical

A small amount of a hazardous material leaked from a rail car Thursday night in an industrial area of North Charleston. ... Read More

Flawless victory at bee

We adults think we know what it means to be nervous — job interviews, performance evaluations, public speaking. Fifty Lowcountry students would tell you that's nothing compared to what they felt Thursday night. At least one student found a way to overcome his jitters, although he conceded it became more difficult when he was one of two students left in the 2008 SpellBound! regional spelling bee. ... Read More

Mercedes sport utility luxurious, powerful

Life is a matter of surprise and compromise. One leads to the other, often in reverse order. If you can get over the business of things not going as expected, you can learn something and move forward. Read More

Developer hopes to build senior housing

A large wooded parcel at the entrance to Whitehall subdivision on Dorchester Road could soon be home to a senior housing development. Read More

Tigers enjoy 'day off' at ACC Tournament

CHARLOTTE — Somehow, some way, the first day of the ACC Tournament came and went without Clemson. The Tigers and the opening round have traditionally gone together like sneakers and squeaks. They had gone nine straight years without earning a bye to the quarterfinals. ... Read More

West Ashley's Lysaght wins national umpire of year award

Joe Lysaght's love for softball is more than a fling — it has lasted 46 years. He's played the game, coached it and organized a league in Savannah for handicapped players. But it's his most recent role that is winning the West Ashley man national acclaim. Lysaght is the National Umpi... Read More

Hunt discusses directing debut at festival

AUSTIN, Texas - Helen Hunt is an Oscar winner (for "As Good As It Gets") and a four-time Emmy winner (for "Mad About You"). Now she has a new title to add to her esteemed collection: filmmaker. Read More

Berkeley Recreation Report

12th arts festival Saturday

The area's talented artists and performers will gather at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre Saturday for the 12th annual town of Mount Pleasant Art Festival. Read More

Fast track for commuter rail

Commuter rail would be cheaper than adding new lanes to the interstate highway between Summerville and Charleston, and would do more to relieve the overall congestion created by commuters between the two locations. State support for the rail project makes economic and transportation sense. ... Read More

Letters to the Editor

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High Schools

Boys' Soccer PORTER-GAUD 8, BURKE 0 Goals: Ball 4, Bouch, Gangi, Stitt, Akom. Shutout: Gabriel/Kupserman. Records: PG 4-1; Burke 0-2. Next: Porter-Gaud at Hanahan today. Read More

Berkeley could seek jail bids soon

Detention center overcrowded

MONCKS CORNER — A 200-bed expansion of Berkeley County's overcrowded jail could be advertised for bids this summer. The Hill-Finklea Detention Center, once projected to need 400 beds in 2012, has an average daily population of 410 prisoners, Dennis Ashley of DA Architects told the Ch... Read More

Brig prisoner in danger of losing sanity, lawyers say

Ali Saleh al-Marri, who has been held in solitary confinement in the Hanahan Navy brig for nearly five years, is in danger of losing his mind, his attorneys said Thursday. In documents filed in U.S. District Court in Charleston, al-Marri's lawyers and a psychiatrist said their client has become obsessed with food and plumbing and shown new signs of paranoia and other mental health disorders. ... Read More

The ACC still earns interest every year

CHARLOTTE — There is this unmistakable buzz that follows the ACC Tournament wherever it goes. You feel it in the street, in the hotel, in the arena. It penetrates all the other noise of the city. It makes you pay attention. Unlike a hundred other wannabe sporting events, this is still the real deal. ... Read More

SEC's odd brand of madness

ATLANTA — After attending almost 20 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournaments, everyone should take a break and give the Southeastern Tournament a whirl. With an open mind and extra MARTA tokens, just in case the team you're covering surprises the experts and advances. ... Read More

Preps Plus: Names And Games

The North-South All-Star Basketball Games will be held Saturday at North Myrtle Beach High School and the Lowcountry will be well represented. ... Read More

School district plans hearings on budget

The Charleston County School District will hold six public hearings on its proposed budget. Residents are invited to hear an explanation and provide feedback. ... Read More

Catch him if you can

Coaching a track and field star like Raymond Eurie can be difficult. Just ask James Island coach David Lee. "The struggle I have, and we joke about it occasionally, is to limit him to four events, because he can run the 100, 200, 400," Lee said. "He hates it, but I put him in the 80..." Read More

Upset the Vols? There's a precedent

SEC Notes ATLANTA — If you're thinking 2006 deja vu when it comes to today's Tennessee-South Carolina second-round matchup in the SEC Tournament, USC coach Dave Odom says think twice. "This is probably as daunting a task as a team of mine has faced,... Read More

Trident sees big culinary future

In recent years, cooking has become entertainment, and chefs like Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray have become stars, leaders at Trident Technical College's Culinary Institute of Charleston said. The school will be better able to satisfy the growing interest in the culinary arts with a reno... Read More

Art Institute has cooks, too

75 enrolled in culinary program, with more expected

Mick Matriccia said he's willing to pay private-school tuition to attend The Art Institute of Charleston's culinary program at because when he graduates, his degree will be recognized nationwide. Matriccia, 22, like other students at the school, is paying about $7,000 each quarter for tuition and fees to attend the school on North Market Street. ... Read More

Leniency sought for Ravenel

Prosecutors say ex-treasurer, co-defendant earned reduction

Prosecutors have asked for a reduced sentence for former state Treasurer Thomas Ravenel and his cocaine case co-defendant but have not offered a suggestion of how light or heavy his punishment should be. Court papers filed Thursday by the U.S. Attorney's Office say Ravenel and co-defendant... Read More

Handyman robbed after interrupting house burglary

ISLE OF PALMS — A handyman became an armed-robbery victim after he interrupted a burglary in progress at a rental home Thursday, police said. The man had gone to do some work at 2302 Palm Blvd. shortly before 11 a.m. He glazed windows in back of the house for 15 minutes or longer, as... Read More

Developer plans senior housing for tract on Dorchester Road

A large wooded parcel at the entrance to Whitehall subdivision on Dorchester Road could soon be home to a senior housing development. A Michigan-based company wants to build about 180 senior living units at the corner of Netherby Lane and Dorchester Road. It will be called Twelve Oaks at C... Read More

Summerville Recreation Report

Amazon 5

Five handy Web applications, selected by the tech editors at Amazon.com: Read More

Cool Tech 5

A quick scan of what's popping up on the radar: Read More

The long and short of prom

Right now across the country, girls are piling into dressing rooms, slipping in and out of the latest evening gowns. Some have been doing this since the beginning of the year. Read More

Limited film-biz benefits don't justify excessive state incentives

I have always held the position of Speaker of the House in high regard. In fact, whenever economic development issues arise that impact the Legislature, I make it a point to try to discuss those issues with the speaker. I wish Speaker Bobby Harrell would have consulted Commerce before announcing new legislation regarding the state's film incentives. ... Read More

At the port today

CSAV Chicago 682 8 a.m. Baltimore Port Everglades Maersk Carolina 958 7 a.m. Norfolk Tangier APL Malaysia 964 Midnight Norfolk Manzanillo Mignon 747 8 a.m. Brunswick Bremerhaven APL Alexandrite 945 7 p.m. Norfolk Port Said ... Read More

Perfect touch: Stratford's Savage a beast of a scorer

GOOSE CREEK — Apparently, even the flu can't keep Austin Savage down long enough to stop him from scoring. Stratford's junior striker recovered from nearly a week's worth of illness to score four goals in a 4-2 win against Sumter in boys' soccer on Wednesday to add to an already obsc... Read More

Merging traffic

Dealership consolidation has communities worried

DETROIT — For years, the Warren Central High School Warriors have counted on Gene Beltz's Shadeland Dodge for support. From buying ad space in programs to paying for schedule printing to sponsoring a mentoring program, the dealership has been there to support athletics and academics at the ... Read More

Virus bundle free of charge with some gadgets

From iPods to navigation systems, some of today's hottest gadgets are landing on store shelves with some unwanted extras from the factory: pre-installed viruses that steal passwords, open doors for hackers and make computers spew spam. Computer users have been warned for years about virus ... Read More

Economy's song full of sour notes

Oil hits $110 a barrel, dollar falls again and consumers aren't buying

WASHINGTON — Oil hit a record high, the dollar sank again and consumers stopped buying pretty much everything. Stocks kept gyrating, too, on Thursday, swinging between gloomy recession evidence and rising hopes that all the bad news would bring another aggressive cut in interest rate... Read More

Preps Plus: Baseball Leaders

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House gives final approval to budget

COLUMBIA — The House gave final approval Thursday to a $7.2 billion budget that includes a slight raise for state workers and more money for public schools. The spending plan also includes $1 million for a rural infrastructure development program. ... Read More

Smart money going 'green'

Many advocates of "green" technology hail hybrid cars as a way to reduce oil consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions. Many skeptics about the "green" cause mock hybrid cars as overpriced monuments to a misguided philosophy. But a highly successful corporation looking to diversify evidently sees enough growth potential to make a move into the hybrid-car business. ... Read More

Music Fest serves up healthy romance

With spring near, Charleston Music Fest offered a healthy serving of "Romance" at Ashley Hall's recital hall Thursday evening. Three talented performers tackled with dexterity and understanding four examples of bracing romantic music which, incidentally, is rarely heard live. Gabrie... Read More

Hometown Morrow leads Yellow Jackets

Georgia Tech 94, Virginia 76 CHARLOTTE — Anthony Morrow scored 18 points in his return to his hometown Thursday night, and Georgia Tech pulled away from Virginia late, winning 94-76 in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. Jeremis Smith a... Read More

Rice, BC earn shot at Clemson

Boston College 71, Maryland 68 CHARLOTTE — Tyrese Rice scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half and Boston College snapped a six-game losing streak with a 71-68 comeback win over sloppy Maryland on Thursday in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tour... Read More

Berkeley officials dispute document

Impact fee info called misleading

MONCKS CORNER — Berkeley County officials say Moncks Corner is distributing false and misleading information about county fees in an attempt to lure property owners into town limits. Supervisor Dan Davis on Thursday released a document obtained by the county that compares fees in the county with fees in the town. ... Read More

East Cooper Briefs

Fashion Briefs

Bush touts Graham in radio ad

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, whose primary election opponent is criticizing him for being too liberal, rolled out a radio ad this week that has President Bush bolstering his conservative credentials. "I've had no stronger supporter in the United States Senate than Lindsey Graham for putting g... Read More

Rich rescues Noles

Florida State 70, Wake Forest 60 CHARLOTTE — Florida State nearly frittered away a big early lead with some cold shooting. Fortunately for the streaky Seminoles, Jason Rich got hot at just the right time. Rich scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half Thur... Read More

The latest about our local Accidental Sailor

A lot has happened since I first wrote about the Accidental Sailor last fall. Shannon Runquist, local artist, wife and mother of two who went to a charity auction to bid on a sweetgrass basket and left as the proud owner of a Pearson 26 one-design sailboat, has been kind to include me in her init... Read More

USC opening SEC play at East favorite Vandy

The Southeastern Conference's best baseball teams will see one another right away. South Carolina opens the conference season at 7 tonight with a three-game series at Vanderbilt. The Commodores (10-3) are ranked No. 6 by Baseball America and are the favorites to win the Eastern Divi... Read More

Sharp-shooting Vandy advances

No. 18 Vanderbilt 93, Auburn 82 ATLANTA — Shan Foster played like the Southeastern Conference player of the year. A.J. Ogilvy was even better. Ogilvy scored a career-best 27 points and Foster added 26 after being named the top player on the coaches' All-SEC tea... Read More

Lohse, Cards reach preliminary deal

Baseball Notes JUPITER, Fla. — The St. Louis Cardinals strengthened their thin rotation on Thursday, reaching a preliminary agreement with pitcher Kyle Lohse on a $4.25 million, one-year contract. General manager John Mozeliak said the 29-year-old Lohse was fly... Read More

Hammonds' resume grows

ACC Notes CHARLOTTE — Add another accolade to Cliff Hammonds' long list of them. Hammonds, a senior guard for Clemson, has been named the recipient of the inaugural Skip Prosser Award. Named for the Wake Forest coach who passed away unexpectedly to a heart att... Read More

Sanford working to prevent loss of child-care vouchers for some moms

COLUMBIA — Gov. Mark Sanford's staff is working to prevent the loss of child-care vouchers provided by the Department of Social Services for mothers in shelters and foster parents. "We're in the process of working with DSS to come up with a solution that prevents these children from ... Read More

Riley shoots down Gators' bid hopesAlabama 80, Florida 69

ATLANTA — Mykal Riley's 3-point barrage ended Florida's three-year run as SEC Tournament champions, leaving the Gators' NCAA Tournament hopes in doubt. The Crimson Tide (17-15) was dominant in the first half but had a 28-point lead shrink to 6 before recovering to beat Florida 80-69... Read More

Plan on a hurricane

The 62nd Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference, held in Charleston last week, delivered valuable new information to coastal residents. But the annual meeting of federal officials charged with producing effective hurricane plans also delivered some old reliable advice to coastal residents: Develop an effective hurricane plan of your own that includes a timely exit strategy — and when that time comes, follow it. ... Read More

Alyssa Milano's the boss of Lifetime's 'Wisegal'

You may not think of Alyssa Milano as a TV legend, but consider this: She's starred in three successful TV series - "Who's the Boss?" "Melrose Place" and "Charmed" - a string of 19 straight years on network TV that's nearly unprecedented for someone who's just 35. You could stretch that into 20 winning seasons if you count her recurring appearances on "My Name is Earl," which returns April 3 with new episodes. Read More

Deaths and Funerals