Columbia Local News - ABC News Radio

Police Investigating Suspicious Death of Summerville Woman

Louis Milman — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:16:28 +0000

(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

Louis Milman — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:12:46 +0000

(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

James Grebey — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:18:21 +0000

(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

James Grebey — Tue, 14 May 2013 13:21:41 +0000

(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

James Grebey — Mon, 13 May 2013 13:20:38 +0000

(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

Louis Milman — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:23:32 +0000

(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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Gov. Haley Proclaims Children's Mental Health Week in SC

Louis Milman — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:17:16 +0000

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) -- On Wednesday, Gov. Nikki Haley proclaimed this week Children's Mental Health Week in South Carolina.

One in five children and adolescents between the ages of 9 and 17 suffer from mental health problems, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

"Ensuring the mental health of our children is essential to their growth and development," says a statement from Gov. Haley's office. "The participation of family members in the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents with mental health disorders is integral to positive clinical outcomes."

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Fugitive Returned to South Carolina After Arrest in West Virginia

Louis Milman — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:20:27 +0000

(LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C.) -- A 35-year-old fugitive was returned to South Carolina on Tuesday after he had been arrested in Peytona, W. Va.

According to the South Carolina Crimestoppers, James Shawver is charged with attempted murder and kidnapping related to an incident in which Shawver attacked his wife with a box cutter last month.

Shawver is accused of cutting his wife on her arms in their home. When his wife attempted to flee, Shawver allegedly dragged her into the woods near the home where he attempted to kill her.

Kristen Shawver suffered over 20 wounds to her arms, torso, neck and head and was hospitalized for a week following the incident.

James Shawver's car was found last month with blood and a box cutter inside. Shawver was arrested in West Virginia on April 26 and transferred to Lexington County where he was booked Tuesday afternoon.

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State Sen. Ford Denies Ethics Violations, Admits Accounting Errors

James Grebey — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:16:39 +0000

(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.

New Blinking Yellow Left Turn Traffic Signal Coming to SC

James Grebey — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:22:10 +0000

(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.