Gingrich to Spend a Night at SC Governor Mansion

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) -- First it was Michele Bachmann. Next, Newt Gingrich. The former speaker of the house will be the latest presidential candidate to stay the night at the South Carolina governor’s mansion while he campaigns in the Palmetto State next week.

Newt and Callista Gingrich will spend the night at Nikki Haley’s mansion on Oct. 4. Bachmann has already stayed at the governor’s mansion twice this year.

Haley’s endorsement will be critical to winning the South Carolina primary, but the South Carolina governor has already voiced opposition to the former speaker. Haley scolded Gingrich in May when he labeled Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget plan as “right wing social engineering” and “radical change.”

“What he said was absolutely unfortunate,” Haley said in May. “Here you’ve got Representative Ryan trying to bring common sense to this world of insanity, and Newt absolutely cut him off at the knees. When you have a conservative fighting for real change, the last thing we need is a presidential candidate cutting him off at the knees."

While in South Carolina, the Gingrich couple will attend a town hall meeting and two screenings of their documentary, A City Upon a Hill.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Traffic Accidents on the Rise in South Carolina

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) -- The number of traffic accidents in South Carolina has increased lately, according to WCIV-TV.

The Department of Public Safety has found that 581 people died on South Carolina roads between the first of the year and Sept. 15. The figure is 20 more than last year.

The past three years of reports have found declining traffic accidents.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Thunderstorms Cause Severe Flooding and Power Outages

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) -- Severe thunderstorms over the weekend caused flooding and power outages in the Midlands region.

Heavy flooding was reported in Five Points, Beltine Boulevard, Gervais, and Millwood Avenue, with reports of streets under water and flooded buildings.  SCE&G reported that downed electrical lines from wind-felled trees caused the loss of power for more than 7,500 customers in Columbia and Lexington. The utility company began work to restore power on Sunday after the storms subsided.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Bridgestone Announces $1.2 Billion Investment in SC

(GRANITEVILLE, S.C.) -- Bridgestone Americas Inc. revealed plans to pump $1.2 billion into South Carolina this week -- the largest initial investment in South Carolina history.

The tire giant plans to construct a new OTR tire plant near its existing tire plant in Aiken County.

Bridgestone also plans to perform a $200 million facelift on its existing plant.

The new initiative is expected to bring 850 jobs to the state. Construction on the new plant will start in November.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Nikki Haley’s European Tab Largely Expended to Taxpayers

(CHARLESTON, S.C.) -- Governor Nikki Haley's latest European tab is in, and the amount is higher than expected for her June economic development mission.

The Post and Courier reports that South Carolina’s Department of Commerce spent around $158,000—nearly $30,000 higher than the figure reported in early September.

According to a Commerce Department spokeswoman, the latest figure released Thursday night is representative of the “trailing expenses” that were filed by the state’s office in Germany.

The expense report revealed that the Commerce Department failed to cover the majority of expenses that billed taxpayers with tens of thousands of dollars.

The trip included five-star accommodations, a cocktail party at the Ritz in Paris and a reception with the U.S. ambassador to France, most of which were expended to taxpayers’ tab.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio