State Sen. Ford Denies Ethics Violations, Admits Accounting Errors

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) -- In a new filling, state Senator Robert Ford continued to deny accusations that he committed ethics violations the Post and Courier reports.

Ford allegedly used campaign donations for personal expenses, and misrepresented the amount his campaign spent and received.

The Charleston Democrat acknowledged that there were errors in his fillings, but said that accounting errors were the cause of the inaccuracies in his filings. The most recent filling did not go into great detail, but Ford said he is ready to answer questions from the ethics committee about his individual expenditures.  

Ford’s attorney Bill Runyon asked the committee for more time for them to respond to some allegations, as they are waiting on certain documents.

The date for the committee hearing has not been set yet, though it will likely be before the Legislature adjourns on June 6, according to Runyon.

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New Blinking Yellow Left Turn Traffic Signal Coming to SC

(RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C.) -- A new traffic light signal, designed to make left-turns safer, is being installed at some South Carolina intersections, the Post and Courier reports.

The new signal, a blinking yellow left-turn arrow, gives drivers the okay to take a left turn after yielding to pedestrians and oncoming traffic. Such signals can decrease crashes by 50 percent, according to a recent study in North Carolina.

The first new light will be installed at a Richland County interception on Wednesday, and officials expect to see 15 more new lights installed by the end of the year, though not all the locations have been chosen yet

The new light joins green and red left-turn arrows, and will occupy a second column of lights at intersections where the new lights are installed.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

Man Attacks Nephew with Machete

(NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C.) -- A man was taken into custody earlier this week after he was accused of attacking his nephew with a rusty machete.

According to the Post and Courier, police responded to a residence on Ottawa Avenue just before 11 p.m. on Wednesday. The victim of the attack, a 50-year-old man, was in the home's front yard bleeding from his hand.

The victim told police he had been making himself a meal when his uncle, Jordan, asked for food, according to the Post and Courier. Even though the victim offered Jordan food, a fight ensued.

Jordan admitted to attacking his nephew, leaving wounds on his forehead, shoulder and forearm. He claimed, however, that his nephew stabbed him with a kitchen knife first.

There were no wounds found on Jordan. He is currently being held at Charleston County Jail.

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Child Kidnapped from Goose Creek Primary School

(GOOSE CREEK, S.C.) -- A 4-year-old was kidnapped from a primary school in Goose Creek on Thursday morning.

According to the Post and Courier, the child was taken from Westview Primary School at approximately 8:15 a.m. by a non-custodial parent.

South Carolina Highway Patrol troopers stopped a vehicle that reportedly contained the child and two females on Interstate 26 just before 9 a.m., according to the Post and Courier.

No Amber Alert was issued, according to the state Law Enforcement Division website.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

House Passes Ethics Bill to Increase Transparency

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) -- The South Carolina House passed a bill Tuesday that will increase transparency in the state government by ending the General Assembly’s solely internal policing of lawmakers for ethics violations, The State reports.

The bill, which is now headed to the state Senate for approval, was passed by the House by a 113-7 vote.

If the bill becomes law it will create a Joint Committee on Ethics. Sixteen people would sit on this committee, eight lawmakers and eight members of the public.

It would replace the current system of having separate Senate and House ethics committees. These committees are entirely internal, meaning that the lawmakers are policing their peers with no outside input. Democrats and Republicans alike have noted the ease at which a system like this lends itself to corruption.

The bill also requires South Carolina lawmakers to disclose sources of private income. It also institutes a two-day window in which candidates must report campaign contributions larger than $250 if they have been made within 20 days of an election.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio