Columbia Local News - ABC News Radio

Men Arrested for Burglary After Tracking Device Locates Computer

2013-05-23T13:26:14Z

(CHARLESTON, S.C.) -- Two men were taken into custody on Tuesday after a woman used a tracking device from Apple to locate her stolen computer, which was in their possession.

According to the Post and Courier, the woman and her mother returned home from the grocery store on Monday and heard what appeared to be someone running through the back door. The victim called police and officers noticed evidence of a possible robbery and an Apple iMac missing. Police believe the burglar entered the house through an unlocked sliding door, says the Post and Courier.

On Tuesday, the woman utilized Apple's iCloud service to locate the computer at a residence on Woodlawn Avenue. When police made a sweep of the home and found the laptop.

Joe Graybill, 22, was arrested. The Post and Courier reports that Graybill implicated Nathan Christopher Black, 53, as an accomplice. Both men were charged with second-degree burglary.

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Police Searching for Man Involved in Shooting

2013-05-22T13:20:25Z

(GOOSE CREEK, S.C.) -- Authorities are searching for a man in connection with a Tuesday night shooting in Goose Creek, S.C.

According to the Post and Courier, an argument occurred at about 8 p.m. on Leroy Court, when the suspect fired a gun, wounding a man.

The victim was a white man in his 40s. He was taken to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Sheriff's deputies are still searching for a suspect.

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Medical University of SC to Host Hurricane Awareness Day

2013-05-21T13:02:59Z

(CHARLESTON, S.C.) -- The Medical University of South Carolina is hosting its 14th annual Hurricane Awareness Day on Wednesday, according to The Post and Courier.

The event will feature a panel of experts from the American Red Cross and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who will help Lowcountry residents prepare for hurricane season.

The Atlantic hurricane season officially starts on June 1, and NOAA predicts that 2013 will be a bad year for hurricanes. They are expecting between 12 and 18 named storms, with 6 to 10 of them becoming strong enough to be hurricanes.

The event will be held in MUSC Horseshoe on Ashley Avenue in Charleston, S.C., and will start at 10 a.m. and end at 2 p.m.

Residents across the state are urged to be prepared for hurricane season.

South Carolina Unemployment Rate at Eight Percent, Lowest in Five Years

2013-05-20T13:16:21Z

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – The jobless rate in South Carolina fell to eight percent, the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce said Friday.

That eight-percent jobless rate figure, down from 8.4 percent in March, is the lowest South Carolina has seen in five years. The state’s unemployment rate has been dropping almost twice as fast as the national average rate has, according to The State newspaper.

“South Carolina’s April unemployment rate is outstanding news as we continue along the road of economic recovery,” said S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce administrator John Finan. “The 0.4 percent decrease from March marks the largest month-to-month drop since May 1987, and the number of South Carolinians finding work continues to increase each month.”

At least part of the drop in unemployment can be attributed to increased summer hiring to take advantage of the tourism season, though there is job growth in nearly every sector.

The State warns that South Carolina isn’t out of the woods yet, noting that many residents are facing under-employment, and since it has a decent exporting business the state is venerable to the worldwide economic slowdown.

Despite these concerns, officials are still pleased by the good news, and experts are predicting that the rate should continue to decrease.

“This drop in unemployment is yet another piece of great news for South Carolina. Our outstanding companies, our loyal and dedicated workforce, and our competitive business environment have our economy turning again,” said Gov. Nikki Haley.

“There's no doubt that South Carolina is on the move, and we couldn't be more excited about the great things in store for our state.”

Police Investigating Suspicious Death of Summerville Woman

2013-05-17T13:16:28Z

(CHARLESTON, S.C.) -- Authorities are investigating the death of a 37-year-old woman from Summerville, S.C., which is being considered suspicious.

According to the Post and Courier, Tabetha Grooms, 31, fainted while intoxicated on April 28. Paramedics and sheriff's deputies responded to the woman's home at about 10 p.m. that night.

Grooms apparently had been drinking for a long period of time, when she complained of feeling ill. According to the Post and Courier, she had started a shower when she fell. Her husband found her unconscious and called 911.

Deputies reported finding blood in the bathroom, but Grooms had suffered no injury that would cause bleeding.

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Police Seek Suspect for Cocaine Trafficking

2013-05-16T13:12:46Z

(CHARLESTON, S.C.) -- A driver, who led police on a high-speed chase earlier this week, allegedly sold cocaine just before the chase.

According to the Post and Courier, a confidential informant purchased cocaine from the driver at approximately 7:45 p.m. on Monday. When a uniformed deputy approached the vehicle, the driver sped off in the direction of Interstate 26.

During the course of the chase, police say that the suspect threw a baggie containing a white substance out of the vehicle's window. According to the Post and Courier, a second discarded baggie was found and determined to contain cocaine.

The chase ended when police began to lose their radio communications signal.

Police have not yet identified the suspect, who is wanted for failure to stop for blue lights and trafficking cocaine.

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Parents Sue Over Son’s Unnecessary Sexual-Reassignment Surgery

2013-05-15T13:18:21Z

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) -- The parents of an adopted 8-year-old are suing the state because their son was given unnecessary sexual-reassignment surgery when he was 16-months-old, The State reports.

Mark and Pam Crawfords’ adoptive son, who is identified only as “M.C.” to protect his identity, was born prematurely and abandoned by his birth mother. M.C. was born with intersex condition, meaning he had both male and female internal sex organs and “ambiguous genitalia.” One of every 2,000 children is born with intersex condition.

When M.C. was 16-months-old, and still in foster care, surgeons performed sexual-reassignment surgery on him, removing his penis and testicles to “assign” him as a girl, despite not knowing what gender M.C. would grow up to identify with.

In the words of Pam Crawford, it was a “social emergency, not a medical emergency.”

The 8-year-old now identifies as a boy, meaning the doctors who performed the surgery, who according to medical records knew that the reassignment was unnecessary, guessed wrong.

The federal suit alleges that the surgery was medically unnecessary, and it violated M.C.’s right to make decisions about his body. A malpractice lawsuit is being brought against the hospital as well.

Fleeing SUV Eludes Charleston Deputies After 60-Mile Chase

2013-05-14T13:21:41Z

(CHARLESTON, S.C.) -- An SUV that was fleeing narcotics investigators from the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office managed to get away from authorities after leading them on a 60-mile chase through the West Ashley district of Charleston, The Post and Courier reports.

Deputies were conducting a probe regarding the car on Monday around 7:50 p.m. on Magwood Drive. When the driver of the white Lincoln saw them, the SUV sped off, and would not comply with the deputies signals for it to stop.

Soon, three sheriff’s cruisers were in pursuit of the vehicle as it sped through downtown Charleston traffic before circling back into West Ashley. The chase lasted 60 miles over several jurisdictions, and reached speeds of 100 miles per hour.

The chase was called off on I-26. The pursuers reported losing sight of the Lincoln near the Interstate 95 interchange in Orangeburg County, in their radio communications. The deputies did not know which exit the SUV took.

Officials say they are continuing to investigate the incident.

SC Dept of Natural Resources: Fewer Deer Killed by Hunters in 2012

2013-05-13T13:20:38Z

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) -- Deer hunters in South Carolina killed fewer deer in 2012 than the year before, according to the recently released annual report from the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.

This past year, hunters bagged 217,854 white-tailed deer, down 4 percent from 2011, and 31.9 percent less than the record haul in 2002. The new number is in accordance with the trend of decreasing deer numbers since the survey started.

The department attributes the decrease in the number of deer killed to changes in habitat and an increasing coyote population resulting in fewer young deer reaching adulthood.

It also found that 28,211 coyotes and 26,674 wild hogs were killed by South Carolinians last year.

The study also asked hunters what weapon they used. It found that 78.7 percent hunters use centerfire rifles, 9.9 percent use shotguns, and 6.8 percent use bows. Kills with muzzleloaders, crossbows, and handguns accounted for less than 5 percent of the total harvest combined.

The survey went out to 25,000 South Carolina deer hunters, 14.8 percent of the license holding population.

Woman Arrested After Leaving Toddler in Unsafe Conditions

2013-05-10T13:23:32Z

(CHARLESTON, S.C.) -- A Charleston woman was taken into police custody on Thursday after she left a toddler in unsafe conditions for two months.

According to the Post and Courier, Elizabeth Danielle Williams, 23, allegedly dropped the child at a West Ashley home about two months ago and never returned. The woman at the home apparently knew Williams.

The Post and Courier cited a police report that claimed that the child slept with the female resident on a mattress on the floor without blankets. Beer bottles, a hypodermic needle and a razor blade were strewn on the floor and kitchen counter. Cat food and an uncleaned litter box were also found in the home.

After responding to the call reporting a child in unsafe conditions, police called the Department of Social Services. According to the Post and Courier, the child was taken into protective custody.

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