South Carolina Morning Headlines

Good morning. You're listening to South Carolina Public Radio. I'm Christina Thacker with your statewide headlines. It is election day for the South Carolina Republican special primary. Today, Republicans will choose who to nominate against Democrat Annie Andrews for the open U.S. Senate seat. Ten candidates are in the race pool. Those planning to cast a ballot today must bring a photo ID. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Anyone in line before 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote. SCETV will provide live election coverage after the polls close featuring analysis and updates. Since July 1st, the start of the state's fiscal year, South Carolina has been without a new state budget. That is expected to change today when the 170 member legislature meets in Columbia for a noon special session. State House reporter Mayan Schechter has more. After several months of talks, House and Senate budget negotiators reached a compromise on a more than $14 billion state spending plan that sends millions of dollars to raise teacher and state employee pay and cover rising health care costs, environmental preservation, and major road and bridge improvements. A stopgap measure has been in place since July as negotiators hammered out two key differences, what to do about a property tax expansion for seniors proposed by the Senate and how much each chamber gets to spend for low legislative projects or earmarks. As part of the compromise, State House leaders settled on a smaller property tax expansion for homeowners 65 and older, expanding the homestead exemption to $75,000 from $50,000. A resolution on earmarks was delayed. Negotiators agreed to create a panel to vet the so-called community investments for a standalone bill due next month. For South Carolina Public Radio, I'm Myon Schechter in Columbia. Test scores among third through eighth graders were up last year in both English and math, especially in the younger grades. Scott Morgan reports. Two out of three fourth graders across the state tested at or above grade level in ELA or English language arts tests last year. Just a hair behind were third and fifth graders. The State Department of Ed says 165 schools in the state had 75% or more of their students meet grade standards, and 71 schools had that same proficiency in math. But math scores, even as they did improve again last year, still drag behind English language scores. Just fewer than half of students in the state tested at grade level for math. But the biggest gains in math scores happened in some of the state's poorest and most rural districts, mainly in Dillon, where District 3 students showed the biggest improvement in math scores last year. Scott Morgan, South Carolina Public Radio.

Two years after a runaway ship caused a bridge to evacuate in Charleston, the chief engineer was sentenced in federal court. Fernando San Diego San Juan was fined $2,000 and will return to the Philippines. The MSC, Michigan 7 sped through the Charleston Harbor in the summer of 2024 after the crew lost control of that engine. The Arthur Ravenel Bridge had to be evacuated. The ship didn't end up striking the bridge, but it did damage and minorly injure other vessels and people in its wake. The ship's operating company will have to pay $6 million and serve a four-year term of probation for failing to report a hazardous condition. And a man who sacrificed his life to save a girl from a Myrtle Beach rip current over the weekend has been identified. 47-year-old Derek Moore is remembered as a teacher and coach from Georgia. Authorities say he was pulled under the water Friday while rescuing the distressed girl. Myrtle Beach police say his body was recovered the next day. The incident happened around 8 p.m. after lifeguards had gone off duty. North Charleston Mayor Reggie Burgess says the city's police chief has resigned. Chief Ronald Camacho will be succeeded in the interim by assistant chief Scott Perry. Camacho had been chief since 2024. His resignation comes after a lengthy internal investigation. During a media briefing Monday, Mayor Burgess did not say the resignation was tied to the investigation, but rather leadership differences. Here's the mayor. decided to say, hey, the direction that the city needs to go in, the directions that he wanted to go in, it was a little different. Burgess appointed acting chief Scott Perry into his position on Monday. You're listening to South Carolina Public Radio, and I'm Christina Thacker.