Senate asked to handle waste leaking into Lake Marion
State legislators are calling for a Senate inquiry of a closed hazardous waste dump, The State reported.
There are questions about the safety of a landfill near Lake Marion.
Democratic Sens. Thomas McElveen and Kevin Johnson want the Senate to discuss conflicting statements about the landfill, which is located just a few hundred yards away from the lake. The landfill has long since been abandoned, but the waste remains untreated.
Lake Marion is South Carolina’s largest reservoir. Not only is it a destination for boaters and anglers, but it is also a drinking water source.
The legislature has to find a way to pay to maintain the site so that the waste doesn’t leak into the water. It would cost about $4 million to oversee the property, and cost up to $20 million to fix the site.
— Madeleine Collins, Assistant News Editor
Columbia residents able to buy Girl Scout Cookies outside of local retailers
Girl Scout cookie sales begin in the Midlands Friday, The State reported.
Scouts of the Columbia area will be selling cookies at local retailers— like Bi-Lo, Kmart, Lowe’s, Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart — each weekend through March 16. This gives those who missed the door-to-door sales a second chance to buy cookies.
Customers can find the closest cookie sale location through the Girl Scout Cookie Finder app.
The cookies cost $3.50 per box, and the proceeds are used to fund troop activities and expenses, program development, camperships, member assistance, training opportunities and girl-focused property improvements.
— Madeleine Collins, Assistant News Editor
Representative Jim Clyburn releases ideas to fix SC State
Jim Clyburn, representative of the sixth district of South Carolina, released a letter in regards to the legislature’s plans to shut down South Carolina State University.
As an alumnus of SC State, Clyburn said that closing the university, South Carolina’s only state-supported historically black university, would leave shame upon the state.
Clyburn went on to say that because of the economy, lack of state support and cuts in state and federal student aid, attaining a college education in South Carolina is difficult for black people.
He suggested to remedy SC State’s issues by creating a governing board made of retired executives and college presidents, replacing the current university president with a highly qualified Chief Executive Officer and making sure that at least two member of the Board of Trustees have recommendations by the National Alumni Association.
— Madeleine Collins, Assistant News Editor