Ex-South Carolina teacher guilty in Georgia child sex case

A former teacher in South Carolina has admitted to contacting a Georgia girl who was under 18 with the intention of engaging in sexual activity, federal prosecutors said. Jonathan Eugene Grantham, of Graniteville, South Carolina, pleaded guilty Wednesday to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, federal prosecutors said in a news release. When he was arrested in February, he was a teacher at Ridge Spring-Monetta

Biden orders 1,000 more troops to aid Afghanistan departure

By ROBERT BURNS and JOSH BOAK Passengers walk to the departures terminal of Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. As a Taliban offensive encircles the Afghan capital, there's increasingly only one way out for those fleeing the war, and only one way in for U.S. troops sent to protect American diplomats still on the ground: the airport. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul) President Joe Biden authorized an

Gun owners can soon openly carry pistols with permit in SC

Anyone with a permit to carry a concealed weapon in South Carolina will no longer have to keep their weapon hidden under clothing starting Sunday. Gov. Henry McMaster held a ceremonial signing Friday for a new state law allowing people to carry pistols in the open. The law still requires a permit obtained in a training class to carry a pistol in public, but it eliminates the need to keep a holster

7.2 magnitude earthquake hits off the coast of Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Haiti on Saturday, with the epicenter 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) northeast of Saint-Louis du Sud, the U.S. Geological Survey said. People in the capital of Port-au-Prince felt the tremor and many rushed into the streets in fear, although there did not appear to be damage there.  Naomi Verneus, a 34-year-old resident of Port-au-Prince, said she was jolted

N. Carolina woman found dead in concrete had fired caretaker

This image provided by the Avery County Sheriff’s Office shows Elizabeth Carserino. On Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021, Sheriff Kevin Frye announced that Carserino was taken into custody and charged with murder, identity theft, larceny of motor vehicle and financial card theft. Carserino was held at Avery County jail on secured bond of more than $1.6 million, the sheriff said. (Avery County Sheriff’s Office via AP) A woman whose body was

North Carolina House approves budget with veto-proof support

By BRYAN ANDERSON FILE - In this April 26, 2021, file photo, House Speaker Tim Moore, left, talks with Senator Phil Berger in Raleigh, N.C. The North Carolina House on Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021, approved a two-year budget with enough support to thwart a potential veto from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper. (Robert Willett/The News & Observer via AP, File) The North Carolina House on Thursday approved a two-year budget with

The Battle Over Vaccine Passports Heats Up

By DR. JOY MARTINEZ, Staff Writer A popular Durham bar is the latest business to announce that it will begin requiring indoor patrons to show proof of vaccination for COVID-19. Kingfisher, on East Chapel Hill St., announced via social media Tuesday that the new policy would start on Aug. 17. Outdoor seating at Kingfisher will continue to be open to all guests, regardless of vaccination status. In their social media

Virginia contends with Confederate names on side streets

By MATTHEW BARAKAT This Monday July 26, 2021 photo shows a sign for the Lee Jackson highway in Fairfax County, Va. The names of Confederate leaders are being stripped from schools and major highways throughout Virginia. But when it comes to the many side streets in the state that carry Confederate names, it's a different story. (AP Photo/Dan Huff)  It came as a surprise to Mottrom Drive resident Beau Fitzpatrick

NC college students must get COVID shot or be tested weekly

By BRYAN ANDERSON Tens of thousands of North Carolina college students will need to get a COVID-19 vaccine or be tested weekly, according the University of North Carolina System.  The system serving roughly 250,000 students at 16 public colleges and universities across the state said in a statement on Thursday that UNC System President Peter Hans will also issue guidance later this week to extend that standard to faculty and

Women send powerful message in Olympic track and field

By EDDIE PELLS The United States team of Allyson Felix, Athing Mu, Dalilah Muhammad and Sydney Mclaughlin, from left, celebrate winning the gold medal in the final of the women's 4 x 400-meter relay at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) They set records everyone saw coming and others that surprised the experts.  They suffered, and battled, and spoke their truth in